UNDERSTANDING OCEAN CURRENTS AND THEIR IMPACT ON MARINE LIFE

THE EKMAN SPIRAL

Mary France Castillo, Angelica Bacalan, Arjoy Policarpio, Harvey Jhon
Tampus, John Lloyd Malaga, Mariel Bantilan, and Rammel Angelo Estil
Contents
Introduction 01
What Causes It? 02
How It Looks? 03
Depth & Direction 04
Real World Examples 05
Why It Matters? 06
Conclusion 07
Introduction
The Ekman Spiral is a concept named after
a scientist named Vagn Walfrid Ekman. He
was from Sweden and studied how ocean
currents move. Some important terms in
oceanography like Ekman layer, Ekman
spiral, and Ekman transport come from his
research. They help us understand things
like layers in the ocean, how water moves
vertically, and how wind affects ocean
currents.
The Ekman spiral is highly related to ocean currents because it explains how wind
affects the movement of water in the ocean. When wind blows across the surface of
the ocean, it creates friction, which in turn causes the water to move.

Understanding the Ekman spiral helps scientists and oceanographers predict and
study ocean currents, which are vital for many aspects of our planet, including
climate patterns, marine life habitats, and navigation.
What Causes It?
Wind Stress

This friction generates a force called wind stress,

which transfers some of the energy from the wind to
the water's surface layer, setting it in motion.

Coriolis Effect

As the wind pushes the surface water, the Coriolis

effect, which is caused by the Earth's rotation,
deflects the moving water to the right in the
Northern Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern
Hemisphere.

This deflection increases with depth due to the

rotation of the Earth, leading to a gradual change in
the direction of water movement with depth.
How It Looks?
Due to the Coriolis effect,
this surface water is
deflected, resulting in
the surface currents
moving at an angle to the
wind direction. In the
Northern Hemisphere,
the deflection is to the
right of the wind
direction, and in the
Southern Hemisphere,
it's to the left.
 DEPTH AND DIRECTION
Depth
Depth refers to how far down into the ocean the
water currents are being observed. In the context
of the Ekman spiral, as you move deeper into the
ocean from the surface, the direction and speed of
the currents gradually change. Different layers of
water within the ocean experience varying degrees
of movement and deflection, contributing to the
spiral pattern observed.
Direction
Direction refers to the orientation in which the
water currents are flowing. In the Ekman spiral,
the direction of the currents changes with depth
due to the Coriolis effect. Near the surface, the
currents are deflected to the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern
Hemisphere relative to the wind direction. As you
move deeper into the ocean, this deflection
gradually weakens until the currents eventually
become aligned with the direction of the wind at
great depths.
 DEPTH AND DIRECTION

In the Ekman spiral, the currents change

direction because of the way the Coriolis
effect affects water movement at
different depths. Near the surface, where
the wind directly interacts with the water,
the Coriolis effect is most pronounced,
causing the surface currents to be
deflected at an angle to the wind
direction. As you descend deeper into the
ocean, the Coriolis effect becomes
weaker, leading to a gradual reduction in
the degree of deflection. This results in
the currents gradually changing direction
with depth, creating the spiral pattern
characteristic of the Ekman spiral.
Real World
Examples As the surface water moves away, it's replaced by deeper,
nutrient-rich water through a process called upwelling,
driven by the Ekman spiral. This nutrient-rich water supports
Eastern Boundary Currents the growth of phytoplankton, which form the base of the
marine food web. Consequently, upwelling zones along the
Equatorial Upwelling Zones coast are often areas of high biological productivity and
biodiversity, attracting fish, marine mammals, and seabirds.
Southern Ocean
The Ekman spiral's role in upwelling affects nutrient
distribution by transporting nutrients from deeper ocean
layers to the surface, where they can fuel primary
production. This, in turn, influences the abundance and
distribution of marine life, as well as commercial fisheries
that rely on these productive coastal ecosystems.
 Why It Matters?
Weather Forecasting Ocean Navigation

Understanding the Ekman Spiral helps For sailors and navigators, knowing
meteorologists predict weather patterns about the Ekman Spiral is crucial for
more accurately. Since surface winds planning routes and estimating travel
influence ocean currents through the Ekman times. Ocean currents influenced by the
Spiral, knowledge of this phenomenon aids in Ekman Spiral can either assist or hinder
forecasting events such as storms, a vessel's progress, depending on its
hurricanes, and cyclones. Additionally, the direction and strength. Understanding
movement of ocean currents influenced by
these currents helps sailors optimize
the Ekman Spiral can affect regional weather
their routes to conserve fuel and time,
patterns, such as temperature and
particularly for long-distance voyages.
precipitation, by transporting heat and
moisture across the oceans.
Why It Matters?

Marine Ecosystem Health

The Ekman Spiral plays a vital role in nutrient cycling within the ocean,
particularly through processes like upwelling. Upwelling induced by the
Ekman Spiral brings nutrient-rich water from the deep ocean to the surface,
supporting the growth of phytoplankton, the base of the marine food web.
This, in turn, sustains diverse marine ecosystems, including fish populations
and other marine organisms. Monitoring changes in ocean currents
influenced by the Ekman Spiral can provide valuable insights into the health
and productivity of marine ecosystems, helping with conservation efforts
and fisheries management.
The Ekman Spiral reveals the intricate

dance of wind and ocean currents

beneath the surface, unveiling the

hidden forces that shape our seas and

influence marine life.

By Vagn Walfrid Ekman

 Conclusion
DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT
The Ekman Spiral describes how surface winds push water
in the ocean, causing a net movement at an angle to the
wind direction. This creates a spiral pattern where water
moves progressively to the right in the Northern
Hemisphere and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere
due to the Coriolis effect.
DEPTH
As you move deeper into the ocean, the magnitude of
the water movement decreases, resulting in a spiral
where the water velocity diminishes with depth. This
leads to a layering effect, with each layer of water
moving at a different speed and direction.
 Conclusion
OCEAN CIRCULATION
Understanding the Ekman Spiral is crucial for
comprehending ocean circulation patterns and the
distribution of nutrients, heat, and other properties within
the ocean. It influences phenomena such as upwelling and
downwelling, which have significant impacts on marine
ecosystems and climate regulation.
PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS
The Ekman Spiral has practical applications in various
fields, including marine navigation, fishing, offshore
engineering, and climate modeling. By knowing how
wind affects ocean currents through the Ekman Spiral,
scientists and engineers can make more accurate
predictions and decisions.
 Conclusion

LIMITATIONS

While the Ekman Spiral provides a simplified explanation of

surface water movement, it doesn't account for factors such as
coastal geography, bottom topography, and turbulent mixing,
which can significantly influence ocean currents in specific
regions. Therefore, it's important to consider these factors
alongside the Ekman Spiral when studying ocean dynamics.
THANK
YOU!