Ekman+Transport



=The Ekman Transport is a very important factor of Oceanography. This is because it includes the systems upwelling and downwelling, which is what makes life for underwater animals necessary becuase it brings all the nurtirents from the ocean floor, up. It all begins with wind. Wind pushes the oceans water along, causing the need for new ocean water. Coming from either the left or from the bottom of the ocean up. Due to the Corolis Effect, the wind moves in a particuler angle than the wind. This angle is usually 45 degrees, but it does vary. So since water is moving up and up, the bottom is still moving, but is less affected by wind, causing a different angle. This process continues as you get deeper and deeper into the ocean ( shown in the first picture) causing the spiral effect of the Ekman Transport. When this occurs near the continents, it is called upwelling, because this spiral effect is what is bring all the nutrient (example being dead animals) from the deep sea floor up. This water is also cold and carbon dioxide rich. This helps algea who require carbon dioxide to porform photosynthesis and the cold water from the ocean floor cools down the surface.= = = =Links := =http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PB2ykEHpSU= =http://www.schonwalder.org/The/Ekman.htm=

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ekman_transport