What is the Ekman spiral explain why Ekman transport occurs?
What is the Ekman spiral explain why Ekman transport occurs?
The Ekman spiral occurs as a consequence of the Coriolis effect. As a result, each successively deeper layer of water moves more slowly to the right or left, creating a spiral effect.
What is Ekman transport?
From Ekman transport, surface water has a net movement of 90° to right of wind direction in the northern hemisphere (left in the southern hemisphere). Ekman transport causes water to flow toward the center of the gyre in all locations, creating a sloped sea-surface, and initiating geostrophic flow (Colling p 65).
What is Ekman spiral?
The Ekman spiral is a structure of currents or winds near a horizontal boundary in which the flow direction rotates as one moves away from the boundary. It derives its name from the Swedish oceanographer Vagn Walfrid Ekman.
Which is part of the Ekman spiral is the net transportation?
Theory. This is called the Ekman spiral. The layer of water from the surface to the point of dissipation of this spiral is known as the Ekman layer. If all flow over the Ekman layer is integrated, the net transportation is at 90° to the right (left) of the surface wind in the northern (southern) hemisphere.
Where does the term Ekman transport come from?
A region of convergence forces surface water downward in a process called downwelling, while a region of divergence draws water from below into the surface Ekman layer in a process known as upwelling. Upwelling and… …with vertical oceanic velocity; and Ekman transport, denoting wind-driven currents, derive from his research.
How does water move in the Ekman spiral?
Each layer of water molecules is moved by friction from the shallower layer, and each deeper layer moves more slowly than the layer above it, until the movement ceases at a depth of about 100 meters (330 feet).
How is the Ekman layer related to the surface wind?
This is called the Ekman spiral. The layer of water from the surface to the point of dissipation of this spiral is known as the Ekman layer. If all flow over the Ekman layer is integrated, the net transportation is at 90° to the right (left) of the surface wind in the northern (southern) hemisphere.