Ekman flow
Wind exerts frictional drag on water surface, setting a thin layer of water at surface in motion
- Transfer of momentum is not efficient; speed of induced current = ~2% of wind speed
- As water begins to move, Coriolis effect causes surface current is to veer the right (or left) of wind
As a layer of water begins to move, it exerts a viscous drag on layer of water immediately below
Each successive layer is deflected to right (or left) of layer immediately above
Produces a pattern where water velocity decreases with increasing depth & the angle between flow direction and wind direction increases with depth