Kelvin Wave

A Kelvin wave is a non-dispersive gravity wave trapped against a boundary or the equator by the Coriolis force, propagating with the coast on its right (Northern Hemisphere) or eastward along the equator. Equatorial Kelvin waves carry the ocean’s fast response to wind changes across the Pacific in about two months and are central to the onset of El Nino. Coastal Kelvin waves transmit sea-level and current signals along continental margins.