DownwellingProzesse
DownwellingProzesse denotes a class of oceanographic processes that transport surface water downward, producing downwelling in marine environments. The term is used in some texts to describe the physical mechanisms that cause surface water to become submerged and incorporated into deeper water masses, often near coasts or at frontal zones.
The primary mechanisms are wind-driven and density-driven. Wind stress at the surface can induce Ekman transport
Spatially, coastal downwelling occurs along shorelines where onshore Ekman transport dominates, while open-ocean downwelling occurs at
Observation and modeling rely on instruments such as Argo floats, CTD casts, and satellite altimetry, supplemented
See also: downwelling, upwelling, Ekman transport, thermohaline circulation, ocean ventilation.