The
Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the
North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift
Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and
Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean. The process of
western intensification causes the Gulf Stream to be a northward accelerating current off the east coast of North America. At about , it splits in two, with the northern stream, the
North Atlantic Drift, crossing to Northern Europe and the southern stream, the
Canary Current, recirculating off West Africa.