The Ekman Layer

The vertical scale of the Ekman layer is approximately 20–60 m
The top layer moves 45 degrees to the right of the wind direction in the Northern Hemisphere
This surface layer pushes the layer beneath it, and layer by layer, the flow spirals downward clockwise
The vertically integrated Ekman flow is directed 90 degrees to the right of the wind in the Northern Hemisphere

¹ Williams, R.G. and Follows, M.J. (2011) ‘Physics fundamentals’, in Ocean Dynamics and the Carbon Cycle: Principles and Mechanisms. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, pp. 66–92.

² Lynne Talley, Fall, 2019. SIOC 210: Introduction to Physical Oceanography.

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