This study quantifies the influence of ocean eddies and other mesoscale phenomena (spanning 50–1000 km) on heat movement. The method used gives different results than earlier studies by classifying motions based on their variation in space, not time. The effect of major ocean currents on heat movement in the ocean depends on the currents' mesoscale structure. Mesoscale processes also impact year-to-year changes in heat movement, especially at middle latitudes and in the tropical Pacific.