current produced by upwelling of cold water off the coast of chile and peru
Humboldt Current The current extends from the southern Chile (~45’S) to northern Peru (~4’S) where cold, upwelled waters intersect warm tropical waters to form the Equatorial Front.[1] Sea surface temperatures off the coast of Peru, around 5’S, reach temperatures as low as 16’C.[2] This is highly uncharacteristic of tropical waters, as most other regions have temperatures measuring above 25’C. Upwelling brings nutrients to the surface, which support phytoplankton and ultimately increase biological productivity.[1]