Coastal Circulation and Wind-Induced Currents

Coastal circulation has been a subject for inquiry by marine scientists since the earliest days of fishing and shipping. The two most easily distinguishable causes for coastal motion are winds and tides, but the response of coastal waters to these forces varies widely, influenced by climate, geomorphology, and stratification. The last decade has seen a veritable explosion of field studies of coastal circulation, made possible by the development of recording current meters which, deployed in arrays over the shelf, provide long time series of horizontal currents, temperature, and, in some instances, salinity. Results from some of these studies are reviewed here, with emphasis on the wind-driven circulation, which until now has been the primary focus of attention.