ATOC 182 Lecture Notes - Lecture 21: Geostrophic Current, Coriolis Force, Internal Wave
1 May 2016
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Document Summary
Ekman drift= balance between wind force and coriolis force, pushes water out of the tropics and into the mid latitudes, this sets up high pressure systems and results in geostrophic current. How does the horizontal gradient temperature change the pressure/geostrophic currents. Inertial circles: coriolis force is balance with the acceleration with respect to the observer. Diurnal =once a day - semi diurnal= twice a day. Lunar tides are stronger than the solar tides so tides mostly follow the lunar pattern. High tide when the moon is at equatorial plane level adjacent to the side of the earth. Spring tides have nothing to do with the spring season= tide cycle related to the moon cycle, amplitude of the tides is largest at full and new moons and smallest at the 1 and 3 quarters. Spring tide is the period at which the tide amplitude is at its biggest. Floodtide: currents going towards the shore spring- neap cycle (related to the sun)
