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Earth and Space Sciences · Glossary

What is Western boundary current?

Definition 29.10 University Earth and Space Sciences — Year 1 · Chapter 29 — The Circulation of the Ocean

A western boundary current is the fast, narrow, poleward current that runs along the western side of an ocean basin and closes its subtropical gyre. The current that closes the gyre on the eastern side, an eastern boundary current, is weak, broad and flows towards the equator.

Stommel’s gyre, computed in a basin 1.5 times wider than long, with the wind towards the west in the south and towards the east in the north. Top: the streamlines (the flow turns clockwise along them, at 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90\,\% of the largest value). Bottom: the northward current across the middle of the basin, divided by its largest value. With a uniform rotation (left) the gyre is symmetric; when the Coriolis parameter increases towards the north (right), the northward return flow is squeezed into a narrow, fast current against the western boundary, and the slow southward drift fills the rest of the basin. Friction and the rate of increase of f are exercise values.
Stommel’s gyre, computed in a basin 1.5 times wider than long, with the wind towards the west in the south and towards the east in the north. Top: the streamlines (the flow turns clockwise along them, at 10, 30, 50, 70 and 90 %90\,\% of the largest value). Bottom: the northward current across the middle of the basin, divided by its largest value. With a uniform rotation (left) the gyre is symmetric; when the Coriolis parameter increases towards the north (right), the northward return flow is squeezed into a narrow, fast current against the western boundary, and the slow southward drift fills the rest of the basin. Friction and the rate of increase of ff are exercise values.
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