BULLETIN. Kiis^t^-' 





Xo. 7. 



California Academy of Sciences, 



OCEAN CURRENTS CONTIGUOUS TO THE COAST OF 

 CALIFORNIA. 



BY DE. C. 31. EICHTER. 



Read February 7. 1887. 



The question, not as to the existence, but as to the character 

 of the ocean currents contiguous to the coast of California, 

 is still an open one. Some of the most recently published 

 maps show that a cold current of great width washes our 

 shores, and others again indicate that it is the deflected 

 warm Japanese current which is passing; this countr}^ in its 

 southward movement. A third opinion gives the surface 

 waters to the Kuro Siwo, and identifies the sub-stream with 

 the Polar current. 



The practical seaman is satisfied by the knowledge of the 

 fact, that the direction of the waters along the coast — with 

 the exception of those nearest the coast — is generally south- 

 ward and northward only during the winter storms. Adja- 

 cent to the coast — at a distance of from three to ten miles 

 from it — an eddy current i§ observed with a northerly 

 direction. 



It is obvious that it would be of great value to science 

 to gain positive facts concerning these questions, and 

 especially so in i^egard to the science of meteorology; for 

 the peculiarity of the climate of California must be de- 



24— Bull. Cal. Acad. Sci. II. 7. Issued May 5, 1887. 



