Which mechanism causes deflection of ocean currents when driven by prevailing winds?

💡 Explanation

When prevailing winds drive ocean surface currents, the Coriolis effect deflects these currents, leading to the Ekman spiral because each subsequent layer is deflected due to the layer above. Therefore the Ekman spiral is driven by the Coriolis effect, rather than geostrophic balance, Langmuir circulation, or upwelling alone, which involves other mechanisms.

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