Ekman

Ekman is a surname of Swedish origin. The name is associated with several individuals, most notably Vagn Walfrid Ekman, a Swedish oceanographer whose work on wind-driven ocean circulation helped establish key concepts in physical oceanography.

In oceanography, Ekman transport is the net movement of surface water resulting from wind stress in the presence of the Coriolis effect. In the Northern Hemisphere it is directed about 90 degrees to the right of the wind, while in the Southern Hemisphere it is about 90 degrees to the left. The transport arises from the cumulative flow in the upper ocean, which decreases with depth due to friction. The Ekman spiral describes how current direction and speed rotate with depth, forming a decaying spiral as the influence of wind-induced stress fades with depth. The upper part of the ocean affected by wind is known as the Ekman layer.

These concepts help explain coastal upwelling and downwelling, the formation and maintenance of gyres, and broader climate and marine ecological processes. The term is widely used in oceanography, meteorology, and related disciplines to describe wind-driven circulation phenomena and their effects on nutrient distribution, climate variability, and marine ecosystems.