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Who was the first person to map the Gulf Stream?

Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790) first mapped the Gulf Stream in 1770. Franklin, who was a diplomat, made regular sea voyages between America and France. He noticed that the boat ride took longer from France to America than vice-versa, and studied the ships' reports to determine the reason. He discovered that there was a current of warm water coming from the Gulf of Mexico, which crossed the North Atlantic Ocean in the direction of Europe.

Franklin believed that the current started in the Gulf of Mexico. However, the Gulf Stream actually originates in the western Caribbean Sea and moves through the Gulf of Mexico, the Straits of Florida, then north along the East Coast of the United States. Once it reaches Cape Hatteras in North Carolina, the Gulf Stream turns to the northeast.

The Gulf Stream eventually breaks up near Newfoundland, Canada, to form smaller...

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