are two smaller, clockwise vortices, one off the west shore of the 

 island of Hawaii and one northwest of the counterclockwise vortex. 

 West of these vortices, a 0.2-knot current sets north and is deflected 

 westward south of Kauai Channel. 



On the windward side of the island chain the current pattern is 

 weak except east of Hawaii Island, where a 1/2- to 1-knot current is 

 setting south, and in the region northeast of Kauai, where a 1/2-knot 

 current sets first southwest and then changes to west north of Kauai. 

 The dynamic topography north of the island of Hawaii between 20 and 

 22 N. indicates a westerly setting drift from east of the survey region 

 which is deflected to the south. 



The geopotential topography both north and south of Kauai Channel 

 indicates no transport of water through the channel but a flow normal to 

 its axis in a westerly direction. In Alenuihaha Channel a slow current 

 setting to the northeast is indicated. 



Surface temperature, salinity, and density 

 and the surface circulation 



Figures 2, 3, 4, and 5 show that the major features of temperature, 

 salinity, and density compare well with the dynamic topography, remem- 

 bering that in the northern hemisphere the light water is to the right of 

 the observer facing in the direction of the current (Sverdrup et al. 1942: 

 394). In the center of the counterclockwise vortex the temperature is 

 low, the salinity high, and therefore the density is high. The two clock- 

 wise vortices are not as easily recognized from the surface distribution 

 of variables, although the high temperatures west of Hawaii suggest one 

 of them. The other vortex is located in the zone of high current shear 

 between the counterclockwise vortex and the northerly drift. 



The slow clockwise circulation about the island of Hawaii can also 

 be inferred from the warmer and fresher inshore waters. According to 

 the dynamic topography the tongues of warmer water protruding north and 

 northeastward of the islands of Molokai and Maui do not indicate a flow of 

 water in those directions as much as an intrusion of colder water north 

 of Oahu and northeast of Alenuihaha Channel. 



Thus, north and south of the portion of the island chain between 

 Oahu and Maui, there is good agreement between the circulation patterns 

 obtained from the surface density and from the dynamic topography. 

 West of this region and northeast of Alenuihaha Channel there is a con- 

 siderable difference. In the southwest part of the survey region and 



