Convergence of ekman wind driven layer and surface circulation in the Arabian Sea during southwest monsoon

Abstract

Using the wind data over the Arabian Sea observed on a typical southwest monsoon day (2nd July, 1963), the vergence and vorticity fields and the net convergence of Ekman wind driven layer at the sea surface have been computed. Based on Stommel's model, the depth of no meridional motion in the central Arabian Sea has been evaluated and is found to vary from 100 m to 1500 m with corresponding, sigma t' variation from 24.5 to 27.5. The maximum vertical velocities at the depth of no meridional motion are of the order of -60 x 10-3 cm sec-1. The surface circulation with reference to the evaluated depths of no meridional motion shows alternate bands of meridional flows. The thickness of the surface mixed layer seems to be governed by the field of motion