ON THE WIND-DRIVEN OCEAN CIRCULATION

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Abstract
Streamlines of oceanic mass transport are derived from solutions to a vertically integrated vorticity equation which relates planetary vorticity, lateral stress curl, and the curl of the stress exerted by the winds on the sea surface. These solutions account for many of the gross features of the general ocean circulation, and some of its details, on the basis of the observed mean annual winds. The solution for zonal winds (section 3) gives the main gyres of the ocean circulation. The northern and southern boundaries of these gyres are the west wind drift, the equatorial currents, and equatorial counter-current. They are determined by the westerly winds, the trades, and the doldrums, respectively. For each gyre the solution gives the following observed features (from west to east): a concentrated current (e.g., the Gulf Stream), a countercurrent, boundary vortices (the Sargasso Sea), and a steady compensating drift. Using mean Atlantic zonal winds, the solution yields a transport for the Gulf Stre... Abstract Streamlines of oceanic mass transport are derived from solutions to a vertically integrated vorticity equation which relates planetary vorticity, lateral stress curl, and the curl of the stress exerted by the winds on the sea surface. These solutions account for many of the gross features of the general ocean circulation, and some of its details, on the basis of the observed mean annual winds. The solution for zonal winds (section 3) gives the main gyres of the ocean circulation. The northern and southern boundaries of these gyres are the west wind drift, the equatorial currents, and equatorial counter-current. They are determined by the westerly winds, the trades, and the doldrums, respectively. For each gyre the solution gives the following observed features (from west to east): a concentrated current (e.g., the Gulf Stream), a countercurrent, boundary vortices (the Sargasso Sea), and a steady compensating drift. Using mean Atlantic zonal winds, the solution yields a transport for the Gulf Stre...

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