Winds and Ocean Currents

Because winds are the primary driving force of

ocean currents, a relationship exists between the
oceanic circulation and the general atmospheric
Atmosphere and Oceans circulation.

Ocean Currents
Surface Currents
Surface Currents
The upper 400 meters of the ocean (10%) Warm Currents
Driven by winds (temperature)
Also know as the global ocean currents
Driven by Winds (temperature)
Flow away from the equator towards the poles
Deep Water Currents Cold Currents
Thermal/Salinity currents (90%) Driven by Winds (temperature)
Driven by density Flow away from the poles towards the equator
More dense water sinks and where they circulate for 500 to 2000
years Counter Currents
Flow the opposite of the wind currents
They Fill in the gaps

Wind-driven surface currents

Atmosphere Ocean Coupling

Ahrens, Meteorology today

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Atmospheric-Ocean Connections in the Walker Circulation
Pacific Ocean

Generalized Walker Circulation (December-February) during ENSO-neutral conditions.

Convection associated with rising branches of the Walker Circulation is found over the
Maritime continent, northern South America, and eastern Africa.
NOAA Climate.gov drawing by Fiona Martin.

Atmospheric-Ocean Connections in the Atmospheric-Ocean Connections in the

Pacific Ocean
Pacific Ocean
Walker Circulation Cell normal conditions
Air pressure across equatorial Pacific is higher in
eastern Pacific
Strong southeast trade winds
Pacific warm pool on western side of ocean
Thermocline deeper on western side
Upwelling off the coast of Peru

Normal Conditions Walker Circulation

Generalized Walker Circulation (December-February) during ENSO-neutral conditions.

Convection associated with rising branches of the Walker Circulation is found over the
Maritime continent, northern South America, and eastern Africa.
NOAA Climate.gov drawing by Fiona Martin.

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 El Nio Southern Oscillation (ENSO)
ENSO Warm Phase ENSO Conditions in the Pacific Ocean
Walker Cell Circulation disrupted
High pressure in eastern Pacific weakens
Weaker trade winds
Warm pool migrates eastward
Thermocline deeper in eastern Pacific
Downwelling
Lower biological productivity
Peruvian fishing suffers

Walker Circulation
La Nia ENSO Cool Phase
Increased pressure difference across equatorial
Pacific
Stronger trade winds
Stronger upwelling in eastern Pacific
Shallower thermocline
Cooler than normal seawater
Higher biological productivity
Generalized Walker Circulation (December-February) anomaly during El Nio events, overlaid
on map of average sea surface temperature anomalies. Anomalous ocean warming in the central
and eastern Pacific (orange) help to shift a rising branch of the Walker Circulation to east of
180, while sinking branches shift to over the Maritime continent and northern South America.
NOAA Climate.gov drawing by Fiona Martin.

La Nia Conditions Walker Circulation

Generalized Walker Circulation (December-February) anomaly during La Nia events, overlaid

on map of average sea surface temperature anomalies. Anomalous ocean cooling (blue-green)
in the central and eastern Pacific Ocean and warming over the western Pacific Ocean enhance
the rising branch of the Walker circulation over the Maritime Continent and the sinking branch
over the eastern Pacific Ocean. Enhanced rising motion is also observed over northern South
America, while anomalous sinking motion is found over eastern Africa.
NOAA Climate.gov drawing by Fiona Martin.

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 SOI

Click here to launch the animation

ENSO Event: Rainfall and

Occurrence of ENSO Events
Temperature Anomalies
El Nio warm phase about every
210 years
Highly irregular
Phases usually last 1218 months
10,000-year sediment record of events
ENSO may be part of Pacific Decadal Oscillation
(PDO)
Long-term natural climate cycle
Lasts 2030 years