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Let's say we would have a large island (size of Greenland) in the middle of Atlantic (yeah, Atlantis). Would it be possible to not have it facing the Gulf stream (warm) from its west side and the Canary current (cold) from its east side?

Would it be possible to have it encircled by a warm current that would just rotate around the coasts of the islands, basically making it somehow like the spot where the Sargasso Sea is today (warm, suffocating, no wind, at least no sea wind, I know it would have land-sea/sea-land wind anyway)?

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    $\begingroup$ Following a very thorough research protocol (typing gulf stream on google image), I see that Cuba is already encircled by the gulf stream. Why is there a problem with the idea of having another island like that? $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 25, 2022 at 7:19
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    $\begingroup$ Short answer: No. If it were actually in the middle of the Atlantic, it would sit on top of the mid-Atlantic ridge. That's where basalt is constantly being created, pushing Africa and Europe away from South and North America. Islands like Cuba are actually folds in a continental plate, and there are no plates out along the ridge. No comment on the air and water streams. $\endgroup$ Commented Jul 25, 2022 at 21:52
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    $\begingroup$ @RobertRapplean, re islands on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, see "Iceland". $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 24, 2022 at 16:17
  • $\begingroup$ @KeithMorrison, that would be part of the long answer. Iceland is a short-timer, no more than 20 million years old, but that probably doesn't matter for fictional purposes. Volcanoes can always make islands, but they're, geologically speaking, temporary. If you're looking for a sargasso sea, it would probably work. If you're looking for a place to find dinosaurs, it isn't a rational option. $\endgroup$ Commented Oct 24, 2022 at 18:59
  • $\begingroup$ It sounds like you want an island with a circular warm current going all the way around. There is no such current in the Atlantic. And I suspect there are no such currents on the planet either. $\endgroup$
    – Daron
    Commented Oct 24, 2022 at 23:15

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This is what Encyclopedia Britannica shows for the Atlantic currents:

Atlantic Ocean - Hydrology | Britannica

Any island placed where the "NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN" label is wouldn't affect the existing currents.

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Split the Stream

enter image description here

There is an oceanic gyre in the North Atlantic ocean. It is called the North Atlantic Gyre. Gyre is a fancy word for something that goes around and around.

The gyre is not warm all the way around. As you say, the Eastern part is cold. So you cannot put your island in the middle of the gyre.

But look at Iceland on Ray Butterworth's image. It is surrounded by a warm current. Not because the current circles the island. But because the island is in the middle of the current. It breaks in two and flows around and rejoins at the end.

You can do the same. Put your mystery island in the path of either the Northern or Southern Loop.

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