Currents

[marinecrafts]

Anyone have any knowledge on the following:  If an east wind is pushing the surface water, how far down does this affect a west current?  I could not get an answer from the "learned" people who study water.

[Bozeman Bob]

**** load of variables,  from how hard it's blowing and for how long to how close you are to the source of the currents . If your within 10-20 miles of say the Niagara River dumping into O , it would never affect the deep current . Your by Rochester and it's been blowing hard for a week  it may shift the current a bit . Then you have different levels of where the current might start ,say at 50' or maybe 100' if your on the fringe of the main current channel . Current is going to be a lot stronger near the source or outflow ,like Oswego than it will be in the area of the center of it . I'm not a marine hydroligist and could be way off in my take on your question . 

[LongLine]

There are 2 main general currents in the lake. (double gyre) 

 

The 1st starts at Niagara and follows the south shore all the way up to Henderson.  Some of it flows out the St Lawrence while the rest curves back and heads south hitting the south shore somewhere between Oswego/Sodus. It then circles back up the coast. 

 

The 2nd starts at Niagara and flows along the north shore and goes up past Kingston where it meets the south shore current.  It is then deflected back west farther from shore and hooks southward at the Scotch Bonnet ridge towards Sandy/Braddocks and meets up with the south shore current.

 

A strong easterly blow will slow the shore currents slightly and may shift the areas of south shore contact somewhat, however the lake recovers a couple days after the east wind dies out.  

 

If I remember my hydrology correctly, pure wind action on water affects the water 5 to 6 times the wave height. 

 

Currents on the lake are a "bear" to figure out on any given day which is why a down speed probe is a necessity.