The movement of large masses on the planet of water, both above and below the surface, is determined by atmospheric circulation patterns, variations in the amount of sunlight absorbed with latitude, and the water cycle. Surface currents, also known as horizontal currents, are caused primarily by wind pushing on the surface of the water, and the distribution of continents determines their movement. Because of the Earth's spin, which causes the Coriolis effect, currents, like winds in the atmosphere, do not move in straight lines, as shown in this water circulation in the environment diagram.
