Sverdrup (Sv)

The sverdrup (Sv) is the practical unit of ocean volume transport, equal to one million cubic meters per second (10^6 m^3/s). It is named for Harald Sverdrup. For scale, the Gulf Stream off Florida carries roughly 30 Sv, growing to near 90 Sv downstream; the Antarctic Circumpolar Current moves on the order of 130 to 140 Sv through Drake Passage. Total global river discharge is only about 1 Sv.