- Industry: Weather
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The American Meteorological Society promotes the development and dissemination of information and education on the atmospheric and related oceanic and hydrologic sciences and the advancement of their professional applications. Founded in 1919, AMS has a membership of more than 14,000 professionals, ...
The interval in time between consecutive cycles of tidal ebbs. See also ebb current.
Industry:Weather
The movement of a tidal current away from the shore or down a tidal river or estuary.
Industry:Weather
Any winds with components from the east, usually applied to broad currents or patterns of persistent easterly winds, the “easterly belts,” such as the equatorial easterlies, the tropical easterlies, and the polar easterlies. See also trade winds.
Industry:Weather
A migratory wavelike disturbance of the tropical easterlies. It is a wave within the broad easterly current and moves from east to west, generally more slowly than the current in which it is embedded. Although best described in terms of its wavelike characteristics in the wind field, it also consists of a weak trough of low pressure. Easterly waves do not extend across the equatorial trough. To the west of the trough line in an easterly wave over the ocean, there is generally found divergence, a shallow moist layer, and exceptionally fine weather. The moist layer rises rapidly near the trough line; in and to the east of the trough line intense convergence, much cloudiness, and heavy rain showers prevail. This asymmetric weather pattern may be greatly distorted by orographic and diurnal influences if the wave passes over land areas. Easterly waves occasionally intensify into tropical cyclones. Compare equatorial wave.
Industry:Weather
One of the western boundary currents of the subtropical gyre in the southern Indian Ocean. It originates near 20°S where the South Equatorial Current splits east of Madagascar into a northward and a southward flowing branch. The current carries the 20 Sv (20 × 106 m3 s−1) of the southern branch southward along Madagascar as a swift, deep, and narrow boundary current. South of Madagascar some of this water moves westward to join the Agulhas Current, but most of it flows northward along the west coast of Madagascar to at least 15°S before also turning westward to join the Mozambique Current.
Industry:Weather
A northward flowing western boundary current found along the east coast of southern India from February to August. Its speed is consistently above 0. 5 m s−1, reaching a maximum of 0. 7–1. 0 m s−1 in May and June. The current is remarkable for its independence of the monsoon cycle; during February– April (the late Northeast Monsoon season) it runs into the wind. See also East Indian winter jet.
Industry:Weather
A southward flowing powerful western boundary current that replaces the northward flowing East Indian Current along the east coast of southern India during October– December. Its speed is consistently above 1 m s−1. It continues westward south of Sri Lanka, where it establishes a strong current shear but little water exchange with the eastward flowing Indian equatorial jet to the south. It feeds its water into the Arabian Sea.
Industry:Weather
A current branching off from the Tsushima Current as it enters the Japan Sea through the Korea Strait. It follows the Korean coast northward to 36°–38°N where it meets the North Korea Cold Current to establish the polar front of the Japan Sea. It continues northeastward along the southern side of the polar front, shifting its path every few months and shedding eddies along the way. It rejoins the Tsushima Current before reaching 40°N.
Industry:Weather
The western boundary current of the South Pacific subtropical gyre. It originates in the Coral Sea near 1°S from the South Equatorial Current and flows southward along the east Australian coast. Although it is the weakest of all western boundary currents with a mean transport of little more than 15 Sv (15 × 106 m3s−1), its speed is rarely less than 1. 5 m s−1. The current is stronger in summer (December–March). It separates from the Australian coast between 31° and 34°S to flow toward the northern tip of North Island, New Zealand, shedding about three eddies per year in the process. Its eastward passage from Australia to New Zealand is known as the Tasman Front, which separates warm tropical water in the Coral Sea from the subtropical water of the Tasman Sea.
Industry:Weather
A southward flowing current along Greenland's east coast that forms part of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre and at the same time constitutes the major outflow route of Arctic water into the Atlantic. This water has a salinity of 30–33 psu and a temperature below −1°C. Some of it is diverted just north of Denmark Strait and northeast of Iceland into the East Iceland Current, which carries it toward the Norwegian Sea as part of the formation process of Arctic Bottom Water. The remainder is joined south of Denmark Strait and southwest of Iceland by the northwestward flowing Irminger Current, which brings the water of the subpolar gyre. Transport estimates are 5 Sv (5 × 106 m3 s−1) for the East Greenland Current and 8–11 Sv (8–11 × 106 m3 s−1) for the Irminger Current. The combined flow continues around the southern tip of Greenland into the West Greenland Current.
Industry:Weather
