Climate & Environment
Upwelling
Definition
Upwelling is the ocean process by which deep, cold, nutrient-rich water rises to the sunlit surface, driven by winds and currents — most powerfully along eastern boundary coasts (Peru, California, Benguela, Canary systems) where winds push surface water offshore. Upwelling zones cover about 1% of ocean area but support a large share of global fish catch, including the Peruvian anchoveta fishery, historically the world's largest.
References
This reference provides supporting context for how “Upwelling” is defined and used.
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Overview
How it is used
The concept structures fisheries oceanography, eastern boundary ecosystem management, and climate impact assessment on marine food systems.
Why it matters
A fifth of the world's fish grows out of upwelling; its behaviour under climate change is a food security question hiding in ocean physics.