HORIZONTAL DISTRIBUTION OF 

 PROPERTIES 



For several properties the horizontal dis- 

 tributions are similar over a considerable 

 range of depth (e.g. upper 100 m.); conse- 

 quently, only those that illustrate certain 

 features are shown and discussed. The prop- 

 erties dealt with are: temperature, salinity, 

 thermosteric anomaly, dynamic height anom- 

 aly, surface current, dissolved oxygen, in- 

 organic phosphorus, chlorophyll a_, zooplankton, 

 and micronekton. 



Temperature 



As with most of the other properties, the 

 distribution of temperature is more variable 

 above a depth of 100 m. than below. Figure 29 

 shows the temperature distribution at 10 m. 

 The general form of this distribution, though 

 not necessarily the same isotherms, is prac- 



tically the same from the surface to a depth 

 of at least 30 m. Off western Lower California 

 upwelling is apparent. The upwelled water 

 appears to have spread southward, as sug- 

 gested earlier. The isotherms of 19° and 20° 

 C, in particular, extend far south from Cape 

 Falso to form a sharp frontal system between 

 California water and Gulf water. This frontal 

 system turns westward at about 100 nautical 

 miles (185 km.) south of the Cape and be- 

 comes weaker. In the upper 30 m. there 

 is some evidence of an intrusion of warm 

 water (see 24° C. isotherm) into the Gulf, 

 to the east of the frontal system. Near Cape 

 Corrientes there is evidence of a thermal 

 anticline. This anticline is not evident fronn 

 the surface data but is conspicuous at 10 m. 

 and is indicated in the thermocline topography 

 in figure 15. The vertical profile between 

 stations 50 and 56 (fig. 14) did not provide any 

 convincing indication of it. There is an indica- 

 tion of slight upwelling just north of Mazatlan 

 (23° C. isotherm). 



24" 

 N. 



22" 



20" 



MEXICO 



SAN BENEDICTO 



IK'W 



112° 



110° 



108° 



106° 



Figure 29. — Horizontal temperature distribution at 10-m. depth for part of CalCOFI cruise 6004-B and for cruise TO-60- 



1. The contour interval here and In the next figure is 1° C. 



34 



