northwesterly along the coast. A maximum 

 speed of 20 cm. sec. occurred close to shore near 

 Cape Cook. 



Results from additional stations along the 

 Willapa Bay line at 30-mile intervals to Cobb 

 Seamount indicated that just east of Cobb Sea- 

 mount was a weak southerly flow which sug- 

 gests a meander in the general onshore move- 

 ment. 



In summary, the gross aspects of the surface 

 geostrophic currents during spring and fall 

 were similar. A major, recurring feature was 

 the broad northeasterly movement of offshore 

 water toward southern Vancouver Island ; this 

 flow veered northwesterly generally parallel to 

 the coastline. Most characteristic features of 

 the circulation off Washington were the many 

 eddies and the apparent lack of strong north- 



ward flow of near-shore water, the Davidson 

 Current, across lat. 48° N. Drift bottle experi- 

 ments during the winter of 1965, however, 

 indicated a significant northward flow of water 

 over the Continental Shelf off Washington and 

 Vancouver Island. The onshore flow which 

 restricts the northward movement of water 

 along the coast of Washington suggests a cause 

 for the formation of eddies. 



Lower Zone Currents, 200 to 1,500 db. 



Data collected during the spring and fall of 

 1963 indicate the bottom of the halocline did 

 not extend to a depth of 200 m. in the coastal 

 area. Geostrophic currents at 200 m., therefore, 

 represent the movement of water which pos- 

 sesses nearly constant properties below the 

 halocline and is isolated from the direct in- 



FlGURE 5.— Geopotential topography, 200/1,500 db., fall 1963. (The 183- and 1,829-m. depth con- 

 tours are shown.) 



228 



U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE 



