Willard Gandert, age 9, of Newarks Ohio for his question:

Is the Gulf Stream a jet stream?

The gulf stream is a vast current of ocean water. A Set stream is a vast current of high flying air. Apart from the fact that both currents are moving, they have nothing in common.

The ocean going Gulf Stream forms a huge eddy within the North Atlantic Ocean. It flows westward just north of the equator from the shores of Africa to the New World. Then it turns: northward and flows along off our eastern shores. Near Newfoundland it makes a right turn and flows eastward across the North Atlantic, Off the shores of Northern Europe it turns right again and flows south to link up with the sweep along the equator.

The Gulf Stream has been known for hundreds of years. Jet streams were first discovered during World War II. High flying pilots between the Marianas and Japan reported streams of wind up to 250 miles an hour. These powerful currents were about four miles high and maybe 300 miles wide. They were westerly winds and provided a splendid tail wind or an impossibly head wind ‑ depending on which direction the planes were flying Since the Pacific jet seam was discovered, others have been found in other parts of the world.