Definition of Term

Ekman current meter

(english) This was designed to give speed and direction of the current at any depth. It consists of an impeller, or screw, and shaft connected to a set of dials. The number of shaft revolutions per unit of time is read from the dials on the main body of the meter. A reservoir of bronze balls is connected by a narrow tube to a compass box containing a compass needle. Below the needle is the compass-ball receptacle which is divided into 36 drawers, each representing 10° azimuth. As the impeller rotates, the balls fall, one at a time, onto the top of the compass needle which guides them into one or another of the chambers, depending on the heading of the current meter. This gives the direction toward which the current is flowing.

Other Search Engines