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Scientists use vectors to represent the speed and direction of currents. By adding together individual vectors, scientists can create resultant vectors, which are used to represent a sum of forces being applied to a certain location.
 
Learn how to get sea surface current vectors from CODAR data. Let's take a closer look at how sea surface current vectors are measured using CODAR along one area of the New Jersey coast.
1. Click on the thumbnail below to enlarge the map. The green and yellow circles represent two different CODAR antennae (green = Brant Beach, yellow = Brigantine), and the green and yellow arrows are vectors measured by the antennae. The green vector is measured by the green antenna, and the yellow vector by the yellow antenna.
2. Using the cursor, click and drag the green arrow to a size and position of your choice, and then repeat with the yellow arrow.
3. Click on the "resultant" button to the right to add the two vectors together into a resultant vector.
4. Once you have created a resultant vector, you can click and drag either of the component vectors to see how changes in their magnitude and direction affect the resultant vector.
When you're done close the windows to continue with this project.
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