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Article: Changing winds and ocean mixing: studies of the Arabian Sea monsoon.
- Article from:
- Oceanus
- Article date:
- March 22, 1996
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1996 Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Arabian Sea, located between the Arabian peninsula and the Indian subcontinent, is unique among the world's ocean basins because its basin-scale winds reverse completely during the course of the year in a phenomenon known as a monsoon. While this happens locally along some coastlines (such as off Oregon), it is indeed unusual to have it happen on so large a scale. The implications of these reversals are considerable as they imply a tendency for the whole circulation to switch directions each year. Imagine, by analogy, the Gulf Stream changing direction each summer! The winds driving the currents are even more interesting: Hot summertime winds blowing in a concentrated ...