The sverdrup, symbol , is a unit of volume flux used for ocean circulation:It expresses the integrated transport across a section, rather than the velocity at one point. A spatially uniform current of through a section wide and deep would transport in this deliberately idealized calculation.
Real sections have variable velocity and depth, so transport is obtained by integrating the normal velocity over the section. Opposite flows in different parts can partly cancel in the signed net transport, even when the local speeds are large. A quoted value in sverdrups therefore needs the section and direction convention before it can be compared with a local current-meter reading.
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The term "Sverdrup" (Sv) is a unit of measurement used to quantify large-scale ocean currents and the transport of water in oceans and seas. One Sverdrup is defined as the transport of one million cubic meters of water per second. It is named after the Norwegian oceanographer Hans Egede Sverdrup, who made significant contributions to our understanding of ocean circulation.