Somali Current
E49449
The Somali Current is a major western boundary ocean current off the coast of Somalia that seasonally reverses direction under the influence of the South Asian monsoon system.
Statements (46)
| Predicate | Object |
|---|---|
| instanceOf |
ocean current
ⓘ
western boundary current ⓘ |
| adjacentTo |
East Africa
ⓘ
surface form:
East African coast
|
| affects |
Arabian Sea circulation
ⓘ
heat transport in western Indian Ocean ⓘ marine productivity in western Arabian Sea ⓘ regional fisheries productivity ⓘ regional sea surface temperature ⓘ salt transport in western Indian Ocean ⓘ |
| associatedWith | formation of eddies and meanders ⓘ |
| borderedBy |
Arabian Sea
ⓘ
Gulf of Aden ⓘ
surface form:
Gulf of Aden region
|
| causes | intense coastal upwelling off Somalia in boreal summer ⓘ |
| connectedTo |
Equatorial Countercurrent
ⓘ
Great Whirl ⓘ South Equatorial Current ⓘ |
| coordinateRegion | offshore region between equator and about 10–12°N (approximate) ⓘ |
| discoveredBy | European navigators during early Indian Ocean exploration ⓘ |
| flowsAlong | Somali continental margin ⓘ |
| flowsDirection |
northward during southwest (summer) monsoon
ⓘ
southward during northeast (winter) monsoon ⓘ |
| formsFeature |
Great Whirl during southwest monsoon
ⓘ
Somali upwelling system ⓘ |
| hasProperty |
driven primarily by wind stress from monsoon winds
ⓘ
extends to several hundred meters depth ⓘ important component of Indian Ocean western boundary current system ⓘ interacts with coastal topography of Somalia ⓘ one of the few western boundary currents that reverses seasonally ⓘ seasonally reversing ⓘ strong vertical shear during monsoon transitions ⓘ strongly monsoon-driven ⓘ surface-intensified flow ⓘ |
| hasVariability |
interannual variability linked to monsoon strength
ⓘ
strong seasonal variability ⓘ |
| influencedBy |
South Asian monsoon system
ⓘ
summer monsoon ⓘ winter monsoon ⓘ |
| locatedIn |
Indian Ocean
ⓘ
surface form:
western Indian Ocean
|
| locatedOffCoastOf | Somalia ⓘ |
| maximumSurfaceSpeed | over 3 m/s during southwest monsoon (approximate) ⓘ |
| partOf |
Indian Ocean circulation
ⓘ
monsoon-driven upwelling systems of the Arabian Sea ⓘ |
| peakSeason | boreal summer for northward flow and upwelling ⓘ |
| studiedIn |
climate variability studies
ⓘ
monsoon–ocean interaction research ⓘ |
| weakerSeason | boreal winter for southward flow ⓘ |
Referenced by (3)
Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.