Winds are able to move the top 400 meters of the ocean creating surface ocean currents. Surface ocean currents form large circular patterns called gyres. Gyres flow clockwise in Northern Hemisphere oceans and counterclockwise in Southern Hemisphere oceans because of the
Why do the N hemisphere ocean gyres flow in a circular pattern?
Three forces cause the circulation of a gyre: global wind patterns, Earth's rotation, and Earth's landmasses. Wind drags on the ocean surface, causing water to move in the direction the wind is blowing. ... In the Northern Hemisphere, ocean currents are deflected to the right, in a clockwise motion.
Why do gyres circulate as they do?
In oceanography, a gyre (/ˈdʒaɪər/) is any large system of circulating ocean currents, particularly those involved with large wind movements. Gyres are caused by the Coriolis effect; planetary vorticity, horizontal friction and vertical friction determine the circulatory patterns from the wind stress curl (torque).
