The California Undercurrent off Central California
Abstract
The structure of the California Undercurrent (CUC) off Central California is described using hydrographic data collected between 1988-1991 and 1997-2010. Poleward flow is found from the surface to the bottom (4000 m) within 100 km of the coast during much of the year although equatorward flow may occur in the upper 300 m during the late winter and spring. The continuity of the flow at 300 m has been measured using RAFOS floats which show occasional reversals of flow as do time series of current measurements from moorings. Coherent eddies are formed by interaction of the inshore flow with topography between Pt. Sur and Pt. Reyes, anticyclonic from poleward flow and cyclonic from equatorward flow.
- Publication:
-
AGU Fall Meeting Abstracts
- Pub Date:
- December 2011
- Bibcode:
- 2011AGUFMOS41A1513C
- Keywords:
-
- 4217 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL / Coastal processes;
- 4223 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL / Descriptive and regional oceanography;
- 4227 OCEANOGRAPHY: GENERAL / Diurnal;
- seasonal;
- and annual cycles;
- 4520 OCEANOGRAPHY: PHYSICAL / Eddies and mesoscale processes