The Wind-driven Circulation in Ocean Basins of Various Shapes

Abstract

The ocean circulation induced by zonal winds has been derived for a triangular ocean basin. The method, which involves the “boundary layer” technique, can be extended to a more general wind system, and to ocean basins of arbitrary shape provided the boundaries are not too irregular. In low and mid-latitudes the principal effect of an inclination, θ, of the western boundary relative to a north-south direction is to widen the western current (Gulf Stream) by the factor (sec θ)1/3 and to reduce the current intensity by a similar factor. A variation in the circulation pattern associated with the variation in the value of the lateral eddy viscosity is noted. DOI: 10.1111/j.2153-3490.1950.tb00327.x