Abstract
Strong, persistent currents along the western boundaries of the world's major ocean basins are called "western boundary currents" (WBCs). This chapter describes the structure and dynamics of WBCs, their roles in basin-scale circulation, regional variability, and their influence on atmosphere and climate. WBCs are largely a manifestation of wind-driven circulation; they compensate the meridional Sverdrup transport induced by the winds over the ocean interior. Some WBCs also play a role in the global thermohaline circulation, through inter-gyre and inter-basin water exchanges. After separation from the boundary, most WBCs have zonal extensions, which exhibit high eddy kinetic energy due to flow instabilities, and large surface fluxes of heat and carbon dioxide. The WBCs described here in detail are the Gulf Stream, Brazil and Malvinas Currents in the Atlantic, the Somali and Agulhas Currents in the Indian, and the Kuroshio and East Australian Current in the Pacific Ocean.
| Original language | English (US) |
|---|---|
| Pages (from-to) | 305-338 |
| Number of pages | 34 |
| Journal | International Geophysics |
| Volume | 103 |
| DOIs | |
| State | Published - 2013 |
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Keywords
- Agulhas Current
- Brazil Current
- East Australian Current
- Gulf Stream
- Kuroshio
- Recirculation
- Subtropical gyre
- Thermohaline circulation
- Transport
- Western boundary current
- Wind-driven circulation
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Geophysics
Cite this
Western boundary currents. / Imawaki, Shiro; Bower, Amy S.; Beal, Lisa; Qiu, Bo.
In: International Geophysics, Vol. 103, 2013, p. 305-338.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Western boundary currents
AU - Imawaki, Shiro
AU - Bower, Amy S.
AU - Beal, Lisa
AU - Qiu, Bo
PY - 2013
Y1 - 2013
N2 - Strong, persistent currents along the western boundaries of the world's major ocean basins are called "western boundary currents" (WBCs). This chapter describes the structure and dynamics of WBCs, their roles in basin-scale circulation, regional variability, and their influence on atmosphere and climate. WBCs are largely a manifestation of wind-driven circulation; they compensate the meridional Sverdrup transport induced by the winds over the ocean interior. Some WBCs also play a role in the global thermohaline circulation, through inter-gyre and inter-basin water exchanges. After separation from the boundary, most WBCs have zonal extensions, which exhibit high eddy kinetic energy due to flow instabilities, and large surface fluxes of heat and carbon dioxide. The WBCs described here in detail are the Gulf Stream, Brazil and Malvinas Currents in the Atlantic, the Somali and Agulhas Currents in the Indian, and the Kuroshio and East Australian Current in the Pacific Ocean.
AB - Strong, persistent currents along the western boundaries of the world's major ocean basins are called "western boundary currents" (WBCs). This chapter describes the structure and dynamics of WBCs, their roles in basin-scale circulation, regional variability, and their influence on atmosphere and climate. WBCs are largely a manifestation of wind-driven circulation; they compensate the meridional Sverdrup transport induced by the winds over the ocean interior. Some WBCs also play a role in the global thermohaline circulation, through inter-gyre and inter-basin water exchanges. After separation from the boundary, most WBCs have zonal extensions, which exhibit high eddy kinetic energy due to flow instabilities, and large surface fluxes of heat and carbon dioxide. The WBCs described here in detail are the Gulf Stream, Brazil and Malvinas Currents in the Atlantic, the Somali and Agulhas Currents in the Indian, and the Kuroshio and East Australian Current in the Pacific Ocean.
KW - Agulhas Current
KW - Brazil Current
KW - East Australian Current
KW - Gulf Stream
KW - Kuroshio
KW - Recirculation
KW - Subtropical gyre
KW - Thermohaline circulation
KW - Transport
KW - Western boundary current
KW - Wind-driven circulation
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/record.url?scp=84886403540&partnerID=8YFLogxK
UR - http://www.scopus.com/inward/citedby.url?scp=84886403540&partnerID=8YFLogxK
U2 - 10.1016/B978-0-12-391851-2.00013-1
DO - 10.1016/B978-0-12-391851-2.00013-1
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84886403540
VL - 103
SP - 305
EP - 338
JO - International Geophysics
JF - International Geophysics
SN - 0074-6142
ER -