Ekman spiral

noun

A structure of currents or winds near a horizontal boundary in which the flow direction rotates as one moves away from the boundary.

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Meanings

nounEkman spiral (plural Ekman spirals)

plural Ekman spirals

  1. A structure of currents or winds near a horizontal boundary in which the flow direction rotates as one moves away from the boundary.

Origin

First physically explained by Vagn Walfrid Ekman, Swedish oceanographer.

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Cite this entry
APA

Ekman spiral. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ekman%20spiral

MLA

“Ekman spiral.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ekman%20spiral. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Ekman spiral,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Ekman%20spiral.

Source: Ekman spiral on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.