# At the bottom of the ocean, is there any current? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 2, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423 "2012-09-02T06:01:02Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 9\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/1 "2012-09-02T06:01:02Z")
I was watching a special on the titanic when something occurred to me. At two miles down, does the ocean have any movement at all not generated by a sea critter or a mam-made object? If there is no real movement, at what depth does the surface movement cease to impact the water below? In looking at the titanic wreckage, it looks like it did when it landed at the bottom of the ocean 100 years ago. ( I assume, of course). What made me think of it is a shot of a teacup that had come to rest on the top of a boiler or something that would have fallen off if there was even a slight current to push it off. Anyone know? Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![Rachellelogram](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rachellelogram/32/8689_2.png) [@Rachellelogram](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rachellelogram)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 6:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/2 "2012-09-02T06:56:30Z")
I’m not sure at which depth surface currents stop to affect the ocean below. However, the wind isn’t the only thing that causes ocean currents, there are deep-water currents. Differences in density are the driving factors behind the deep current, as well as [hydrothermal vents](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hydrothermal_vent) at the bottom of the ocean. There’s some great info on this wiki page about [thermohaline circulation](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermohaline_circulation). You may also find this wiki page about the [deep sea](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deep_sea) interesting. As to why the teacup hasn’t been moved by deep-sea currents, I couldn’t tell you. ---
**Author:** ![Jamicat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/c67d28/32.png) [@Jamicat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jamicat)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/3 "2012-09-02T16:35:46Z")
Thermal Convection exists at the sea floor. Same as air convection. Just a lot slower. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [September 2, 2012, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/4 "2012-09-02T23:59:54Z")
From the poles, cold water moves toward the equator at the lower half of the ocean’s depth while warm water moves “pole-wards” on the upper half. That’s a general movement, not as pronounced as say, the gulf stream. ---
**Author:** ![crypto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b3f665/32.png) [@crypto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/crypto)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 3:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/5 "2012-09-03T03:53:58Z")
Ok, so it is moving, just not very fast? That makes more sense to me than just a stagnant ocean bottom. So is it fair to assume that it moves in predictable currents, or is it more of a random flow based on a myriad of parameters? ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [September 3, 2012, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/6 "2012-09-03T04:04:18Z")
I remember from an oceanography class I took in college that deep currents can run at right angles to the surface/layer just above. Lots of variables, temp, salt content, pressure and all that. You can have currents running in directions that seem counter-intuitive. Pretty interesting course. Taught by one of the guys who found the wreck of the _Thresher_. Showed us some unpublished photos. ---
**Author:** ![Chr1st1n4](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/ed8c4c/32.png) [@Chr1st1n4](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chr1st1n4)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 7:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/7 "2012-09-04T07:35:01Z")
Well there has to be some kind of movement at the bottom of the ocean, just not much. I saw it on animal planet once when I was watching Blue Planet. 😛 But a lot of the water movement on the surface is caused by wind as well as the moon’s gravitational pull ---
**Author:** ![janeslogin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df788c/32.png) [@janeslogin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/janeslogin)\ **Post date:** [September 4, 2012, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/8 "2012-09-04T22:15:33Z")
I’ve a tangent question. How deep does the movement of water by a hurricane over the open ocean go? ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [September 5, 2012, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-the-bottom-of-the-ocean-is-there-any-current/633423/9 "2012-09-05T00:01:49Z")
> [@janeslogin](#): > > I’ve a tangent question. How deep does the movement of water by a hurricane over the open ocean go? not very. the highest waves caused by wind would be storm surges that can go more than 10 meters high, especially in shallow water. but over deep water, wind cannot possibly stir the water deeper than that because each particle in the water that gets “dragged” by wind will simply move downward, up and around in a circular motion. the stronger the wind, the deeper it can make particles rotate but the diameter of the circle shrinks very quickly to zero. this. look for the drawing of particles in the water behaving when there’s a strong wind. > **[Wind wave](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wind_wave)** > > In fluid dynamics, a wind wave, or wind-generated water wave, is a surface wave that occurs on the free surface of bodies of water as a result of the wind blowing over the water's surface. The contact distance in the direction of the wind is known as the fetch. Waves in the oceans can travel thousands of kilometers before reaching land. Wind waves on Earth range in size from small ripples to waves over 30 m (100 ft) high, being limited by wind speed, duration, fetch, and water depth. > When direct...