How did Fridtjof Nansen contribute to the study of wind-driven ocean currents?

Fridtjof Nansen made a significant contribution to the study of wind-driven ocean currents through his observations during his Arctic expeditions, particularly the Fram expedition (1893–1896).1

During his time in the Arctic, Nansen observed that ice did not drift in the exact direction of the wind but was instead deflected to the right of the wind's path. He recognized that this phenomenon was caused by the Earth's rotation. Nansen shared these observations with the Swedish oceanographer V. Walfrid Ekman, who subsequently developed a theoretical model in 1902 to explain the mechanics of this wind-driven drift.12

This model, known as the Ekman spiral, describes how wind stress on the ocean surface creates a current that is deflected by the Coriolis effect, with the direction of the current rotating and the velocity decreasing as depth increases. Nansen’s meticulous documentation of these Arctic currents provided the empirical foundation necessary for the development of this fundamental oceanographic theory.321