Nansen observes ice drifting to the right of the wind
During the drift of the Fram across the Arctic basin, Fridtjof Nansen recorded that surface ice moved consistently at 20 to 40 degrees to the right of the wind rather than downwind. He had no theory for it and asked a young Swedish physicist to find one. The observation is the empirical root of the entire theory of wind-driven ocean circulation.
Observed — measured or witnessed, with the observation cited.
Subjects
- Ekman Transport and the Ekman Spiral · natural phenomenon · Global ocean · not located
Evidence
Partly verified — Core facts are sourced; some optional detail is deliberately absent.
On the Influence of the Earth's Rotation on Ocean-Currents
Wind stress transmitted downward through a rotating ocean produces a velocity spiral with depth and a net transport at right angles to the wind, explaining Nansen's Fram observation that Arctic ice drifts 20–40 degrees to the right of the wind. The exact issue and page range were not confirmed and the paper was not consulted; the account here rests on biographical and teaching sources.
Arkiv för Matematik, Astronomi och Fysik · 1905 · Partly verified
Ekman, V. W., Arkiv för Matematik, Astronomi och Fysik, vol. 2 (1905)
Recorded on Ekman Transport and the Ekman Spiral
- Nansen observes ice drifting to the right of the wind
- Ekman publishes the theory of wind-driven surface transport
Related
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