= Henry Stommel
{c}
<Henry Stommel> explained a mechanism for the western intensification of wind-driven ocean currents. His 1948 basin model combined wind stress, a latitude-dependent <Coriolis parameter> and linear bottom <friction>; the resulting circulation concentrated streamlines on the western side.
The result connects a global transport balance with a narrow boundary current. <Friction> is essential to closing the circulation even when it is weak in much of the interior, illustrating why a small local effect can control the structure of an entire flow.<The westward intensification of wind-driven ocean currents by Henry Stommel>[Original model and westward concentration of streamlines]{ref}
Back to article page
