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Outline
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Lecture 10: Ocean Circulation
  • Ekman Transport
  • Ekman Pumping
  • Wind-Driven Circulation
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Basic Ocean Structures
  •  Upper Ocean (~100 m)
  •     Shallow, warm upper layer where light is abundant and where most marine life can be found.


  •  Deep Ocean
  •    Cold, dark, deep ocean where plenty supplies of nutrients and carbon exist.
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Basic Ocean Current Systems
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Vertical Structure of Ocean
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Mixed Layer Processes
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Seasonal Variation of Mixed Layer
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Two Circulation Systems
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Global Surface Currents
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Six Great Current Circuits in the World Ocean
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Characteristics of the Gyres
  • Currents are in geostropic balance
  • Each gyre includes 4 current components:
  •       two boundary currents: western and eastern
  •       two transverse currents: easteward and westward
  • Western boundary current (jet stream of ocean)
  •        the fast, deep, and narrow current moves warm water polarward  (transport ~50 Sv or greater)
  • Eastern boundary current
  •       the slow, shallow, and broad current moves cold water equatorward (transport ~ 10-15 Sv)
  • Trade wind-driven current
  •        the moderately shallow and broad westward current (transport ~ 30 Sv)
  • Westerly-driven current
  •        the wider and slower (than the trade wind-driven current) eastward current
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Major Current Names
  • Western Boundary Current
  •     Gulf Stream (in the North Atlantic)
  •        Kuroshio Current (in the North Pacific)
  •        Brazil Current (in the South Atlantic)
  •        Eastern Australian Current (in the South Pacific)
  •        Agulhas Current (in the Indian Ocean)
  • Eastern Boundary Current
  •       Canary Current (in the North Atlantic)
  •        California Current (in the North Pacific)
  •        Benguela Current (in the South Atlantic)
  •        Peru Current (in the South Pacific)
  •       Western Australian Current (in the Indian Ocean)
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Gulf Stream
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Surface Current – Geostrophic Gyre
  • Mixed Layer
  •       Currents controlled by frictional force + Coriolis force
  •       à wind-driven circulation
  •       à Ekman transport (horizontal direction)
  •       à convergence/divergence
  •       à downwelling/upwelling at the bottom of mixed layer
  •  Thermocline
  •       downwelling/upwelling in the mixed layer
  •       à pressure gradient force + Coriolis force
  •       à geostrophic current
  •       à Sverdrup transport (horizontal)


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Step 1: Surface Winds
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Winds and Surface Currents
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Step 2: Ekman Layer
(frictional force + Coriolis Force)
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Ekman Spiral – A Result of Coriolis Force
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Formula for Ekman Transport
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How Deep is the Ekman Layer?
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Ekman Transport
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Step 3: Geostrophic Current
(Pressure Gradient Force + Corioils Foce)
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Ekman Transport à Convergence/Divergence
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Geostrophic Current
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Sverdrup Transport
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Sverdrup Transport
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Ekman and Sverdrup Transports
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Conservation of Potential Vorticity
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Boundary Currents
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Step 4: Boundary Currents
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Boundary Currents
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Eastern Boundary Current
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Costal Upwelling/Downwelling
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Global Surface Currents