The Wind-driven Circulation in Ocean Basins of Various Shapes

The ocean circulation induced by zonal winds has been derived for a triangular ocean basin. The method, which involves the “boundary layer” technique, can be extended to a more general wind system, and to ocean basins of arbitrary shape provided the boundaries are not too irregular. In low and mid-latitudes the principal effect of an inclination, Θ, of the western boundary relative to a north-south direction is to widen the western current (Gulf Stream) by the factor (sec Θ)^1/3 and to reduce the current intensity by a similar factor. A variation in the circulation pattern associated with the variation in the value of the lateral eddy viscosity is noted.