December 2, 2024 report
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Indian Ocean study finds an exception to Ekman's theory of wind-driven ocean currents
A team of planetary scientists and oceanographers from NOAA, the Indian National Center for Ocean Information Services, and the University of Zagreb, has found an example of an exception to Ekman's theory of wind-driven ocean currents—wind and surface flow in the Bay of Bengal.
In their paper in the journal Science Advances, the group analyzed several years of data sent by a buoy in the Indian Ocean, off the eastern coast of India.
In 1905, a Swedish oceanographer named Vagn Walfrid Ekman found evidence showing that ocean currents that flow near the surface, which were known to be impacted by wind, were found to deflect to the right in the Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere. Work since that time has backed up the theory, which has come to be known as Ekman's theory of wind-driven ocean currents.
In this new study, the research team has found an exception to the theory—winds blowing in the Bay of Bengal, which is the Northern Hemisphere, deflect ocean currents to the left.
Evidence came in the form of multi-year statistics from a buoy anchored several hundred miles off the coast of India. They showed currents deflecting to the left of surface winds.
The researchers suggest their findings could lead to changes in how climate models simulate the impact of wind on ocean currents, because if there is one exception, there are likely to be more. They also note that their findings highlight the lack of research that has been conducted surrounding the impact of wind on ocean currents, something that could become problematic as scientists attempt to predict changes to the oceans as the planet continues to warm.
Future study of the way the wind impacts ocean currents in the Bay of Bengal could also provide a better understanding of ocean surface flow and circulation patterns. The researchers suggest their findings could help to promote the deployment of a satellite system that NASA is considering that would be able to monitor both wind and ocean surface currents, helping researchers find other exceptions.
More information: Michael J. McPhaden et al, Ekman revisited: Surface currents to the left of the winds in the Northern Hemisphere, Science Advances (2024).
Journal information: Science Advances
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