In the Ekman Spiral, deeper layers drift progressively to which direction relative to the surface flow in the Northern Hemisphere?

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Multiple Choice

In the Ekman Spiral, deeper layers drift progressively to which direction relative to the surface flow in the Northern Hemisphere?

Explanation:
The key idea is how the Coriolis force interacts with friction in a rotating ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere, moving water is deflected to the right by the Coriolis effect. Because each layer drags the layer below and above through friction, that rightward deflection propagates downward and becomes progressively stronger with depth. As a result, the direction of flow winds up rotating clockwise with depth, so the deeper layers drift to the right of the surface flow. This rightward progression of direction with depth is the hallmark of the Ekman spiral.

The key idea is how the Coriolis force interacts with friction in a rotating ocean. In the Northern Hemisphere, moving water is deflected to the right by the Coriolis effect. Because each layer drags the layer below and above through friction, that rightward deflection propagates downward and becomes progressively stronger with depth. As a result, the direction of flow winds up rotating clockwise with depth, so the deeper layers drift to the right of the surface flow. This rightward progression of direction with depth is the hallmark of the Ekman spiral.

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