The Ekman Spiral causes current speed to increase with depth.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The Ekman Spiral actually causes current speed to decrease with depth. The surface current is faster than the current at greater depths due to the frictional force of wind acting on the water surface. This causes a transfer of momentum from the wind to the water, which gradually decreases as depth increases due to the Coriolis effect. As a result, the current speed decreases with depth in the Ekman Spiral.

The Ekman Spiral Causes Current Speed to Increase with Depth