Oyashio Current

[oi-uh-shee-oh kur-uhnt, aw-yah-shee-aw]

noun

1. a cold ocean current flowing southwest from the Bering Sea, east of the Kuril Islands, along the east coast of Japan where it meets the Japan Current.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Oyashio Current¹

First recorded in 1920–25 as Oyashio; from Japanese: literally, “parental tide,” so called for its metaphorical role as the parent ( oya ) that sustains marine life

Example Sentences

That’s where the cold Oyashio current meets the warm, northbound Kuroshio, making it a rich fishing ground.

Read more on Washington Times

The beach, he said, will be in the path of treated water traveling south on the Oyashio current from off the coast of Fukushima Daiichi.

Read more on Seattle Times

The biggest increases in frequency over time occurred in major coastal current systems, including the Oyashio Current in the western North Pacific, the Alaska Current, the Malvinas Current off the coast of Patagonia, the Canary Current, the Benguela Current around the coast of southern Africa, and the Gulf Stream.

Read more on Scientific American

Rising water temperatures likely played a role in some parts of the world, particularly high-latitude regions like the Alaska Current and the Oyashio Current.

Read more on Scientific American