Final answer:
The Gulf Stream is the warm ocean current that flows along the Atlantic coast of the United States, and it helps create milder weather along the Eastern Seaboard and in Western Europe.
Step-by-step explanation:
The surface ocean current that flows along the Atlantic coast of the United States is known as the Gulf Stream. This powerful current originates in the Gulf of Mexico, where its waters are warmed, thus making it a warm current. As it flows along the Eastern Seaboard of the United States, the Gulf Stream has a significant impact on the climate of the regions it passes, contributing to milder weather patterns than would otherwise be expected at such northern latitudes. It carries warm water from the equator towards the poles, influencing not only the regional climates of coastal areas but also the global climate by moving heat around the planet.
The Gulf Stream is notable for its role in contributing to the temperate climate experienced in most of Western Europe, which is uncharacteristic for its latitude due to the heat transported by the current. The effects of the Gulf Stream can be appreciated as far north as the western coastal islands of Scotland, where it enables some forms of tropical flora to survive. As a warm current, the Gulf Stream contrasts with the cooler currents found in other parts of the world's oceans, such as the West Wind Drift in the Southern Ocean.