Home | Meeting Announcement | Meeting Agenda | Call for Papers | Meeting Registration | Hotel Information | Travel Information | Attendees | Abstracts
2002 LAPCOD Meeting
Previous Abstract | Back to Abstracts Page | Next Abstract
Drifter Observations of the NECC in the Eastern Tropical Pacific
Sean C. Kennan, Pearn P. Niiler, Janet Sprintall
Nova SE Univ. Oceanographic Ctr.
skennan@nova.edu(Abstract received 11/01/2002 for session A)
ABSTRACT
Drifter observations of the North Equatorial Countercurrent in the eastern Pacific reveal that the current has a strong seasonal cycle of amplitude and flow direction, with maximum eastward speeds occurring in June an July. The current is also narrower than can be inferred using climatological hydrography - so much so, that the meridional curvature of the zonal velocity is comparable to BETA - the planetary vorticity gradient. Taken together, these observations suggest that a revision of Sverdrup's vorticity theory for the NECC may be warranted.
Previous Abstract | Back to Abstracts Page | Next Abstract
2002 LAPCOD Meeting, Key Largo, Florida, December 12-16, 2000