Theory 18/Coastal upwelling/Ratio lens
Intensity Is Wind Against Stratification
The claim
Upwelling intensity is set by the ratio of alongshore wind to stratification, so a strongly stratified ocean resists upwelling that a well-mixed one permits.
01Mechanism
Wind must lift dense water across the pycnocline; the ratio determines how much vertical displacement is possible.
02Prediction
Intensity should track the ratio.
03Refutation
Intensity tracking wind alone would remove stratification.