DEFINITION OF GEOSTROPHIC CURRENTS

Currents in the ocean or atmosphere

in which the horizontal pressure is balanced by the equal but

opposite Coriolis force. These currents are not affected by

friction, and they flow to the right of the pressure gradient

force along pressure isobars in the Northern Hemisphere

atmosphere and oceans, and to the left in the Southern Hemisphere.

In the oceans, geostrophic currents are also known as

contour currents, since they follow the bathymetric contours

on the seafloor, flowing clockwise in the Northern Hemisphere

and counterclockwise in the Southern Hemisphere.

Downslope currents such as turbidity currents deposit most

of the sediments on continental slopes. Since geostrophic or

contour currents flow along the bathymetric contours, they

rework bottom sediments at right angles to the currents that

deposited the sediments. Their work is therefore detectable

by examination of paleocurrent indicators that swing from

downslope to slope-parallel movement vectors at the top of

turbidite and other slope deposits.

See also ATMOSPHERE; CONTINENTAL MARGIN.

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