Depth variation of currents in the wind-generated Ekman layer in a shallow sea situation (constant eddy coefficient) for the northern hemisphere, assuming a southerly wind. The situation in the southern hemisphere is the mirror image with respect to the wind direction.

The light green curve is the Ekman spiral under deep sea conditions (H > 1.25 dE). The red curves show Ekman spirals for successively shallower water (1/2, 1/4 and 1/10 of dE). White circles indicate the endpoints of the current vectors from the surface down in increments of 0.1 dE; the vector endpoints for z = 0 (the surface) and z = 0.5 dE are blue.

Adapted from Neumann and Pierson (1966), based on Ekman (1905).

© 1996 M. Tomczak

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