Which of the following is not a cold ocean current?

The answer is D) Agulhas. The Agulhas Current is a warm western boundary current. It flows southwestward along the east coast of Africa, carrying warm tropical water from the Mozambique and Madagascar region toward the southern tip of the continent. The other three are cold currents.

• A) Canary: Cold. It flows equatorward off northwest Africa as part of the North Atlantic gyre. Coastal upwelling here supports rich fisheries.
• B) Humboldt (Peru Current): Cold. It flows northward along the Pacific coast of South America. Upwelling brings nutrient-rich water to the surface, which supports anchovy fisheries. El Niño weakens this upwelling.
• C) Oyashio: Cold. It flows southward from the Okhotsk and Bering Sea region along the Japanese coast. It meets the warm Kuroshio off northeast Japan, creating one of the world's major fishing grounds.

The core concept is the difference between warm and cold currents, which depends on whether they carry water from the tropics or from the poles. This links to climate regulation and fisheries, both recurring GS-I themes.

Trap: Students assume Agulhas is cold because the Benguela Current, on the same coast of Africa, is cold. Benguela flows north off southwest Africa and is cold. Agulhas is on the opposite coast and is warm.