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  1. Home
  2. Essential Climate Variables
  3. Surface Currents

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Data Sources

ECV Products and Requirements


Surface Currents

The surface ocean general circulation is responsible for significant surface transport of heat, salt, passive tracers and ocean pollutants. On basin scales, surface currents and their variations are a major player in climate to weather fluctuations. The boundary currents on each side of the ocean basins transport significant amounts of heat, salt and passive tracers. Western Boundary Currents in particular transport heat and properties polwards, moderating climate. Convergences/divergences, spiralling eddies, and filaments all contribute to vertical motions and mass exchange. Surface currents impact the steepness of surface waves, and are thus important for generating accurate marine sea state forecasts.
  Domain: Ocean
  Subdomain: Physical
  Scientific Area: Physical Properties
  Product:  Surface Geostrophic Current

 


Surface Geostrophic Currents

Figure: Globcurrent merged global ocean gridded absolute geostrophic velocities from SSALTO/DUACS AVISO L4 Product on 0.1 degree resolution geographic grid.

Source: www.globcurrent.ifremer.fr

EU Copernicus

 

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