Abstract
FRICTION at the Earth's surface induces deflection of the ground wind from the geostrophic direction, the progressive change with height being known as the ‘Ekman Spiral’. As the roughness of the surface increases, this deflection becomes further to the left in the Northern Hemisphere and further right in the Southern; the differences between extensive water or grass-covered areas and nearby rough surfaces, such as rooftops, are commonly 15° (ref. 1). The evidence presented here shows that dune fields, many of which have rougher surfaces than neighbouring areas, and within which there may be differences in roughness between dune types, show evidence of such deflections.
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WARREN, A. Dune trend and the Ekman Spiral. Nature 259, 653–654 (1976). https://doi.org/10.1038/259653a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/259653a0
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