A new barotropic model of the wind-driven circulation

Rationalized by the observational circulation pattern in the upper ocean of the North Pacific, meridional friction term is first incorporated in a bar otropic theoretical model of the wind-driven circulation. The governing pot ential vorticity equation thence has beta term and wind stress curl term (t he two of the Sverdrup balance), zonal friction term and meridional frictio n term. The analytical solution satisfactorily captures many important feat ures of the wind-driven circulation in the North Pacific: Kuroshio, Oyashio , Kuroshio extension, North Equatorial Current, and especially the eastern boundary currents in the North Pacific, i.e. California current and Alaska current.