The Humboldt Current, also known as the Peru Current, corresponds to an ocean current that travels along the length of the Pacific Ocean. This phenomenon was named after the German naturalist Alexander von Humboldt, who made the discovery.
This current is born near Antarctica, this place has low temperatures, somewhere around 7º and 8º C, the displacement occurs in the north direction. The current that occurs with greater incidence on the coasts of Chile and Peru holds a large amount of plankton, which is why fish are attracted to these waters.
Because of this phenomenon, Peru has a high fish density, which is why it is considered one of the main fish producers in the world.
On the Peruvian coast, surface waters raise the temperature and from there move driven by the wind action that develops there, causing them to move away from the coast. In this way, the colder waters emerge to the surface, taking with them large amounts of nutrients that were found on the seabed.
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By Eduardo de Freitas
Graduated in Geography
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
FREITAS, Eduardo de. "Current of Humboldt"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/geografia/corrente-humboldt.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
