What is Westward intensification and what causes it?
What is Westward intensification and what causes it?
Answer: Currents flowing from West to East at higher latitudes (in either hemisphere!) have water deflected more quickly and strongly towards the center of the gyre than currents flowing form high latitudes towards the equator because the Coriolis force is greater near the poles. This leads to an asymmetrical gyre and explains why western boundary currents are fast and deep while easter boundary currents are the opposite
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