The agreement of the two methods is general only, and instances 

 ° o o 



such as at stations 19 and 22, where the directions are 90 to 180 out 



of phase, can be found. The GEK current speeds also appear higher by 



as much as a factor of 2, as between stations 57 and 58. 



Surface temperature, salinity, density 

 and the surface circulation 



As before, the surface distribution of variables is of little help 

 in deducing the flow pattern. Only the counterclockwise vortex at sta- 

 tion 51 is apparent in figures 26 and 27 fronri the low temperature and 

 high salinity, respectively. The sigma-t distribution together with the 

 high temperatures west of Hawaii suggest a clockwise circulation about 

 the island. North of Hawaii, figures 27 and 29 show that the tongue of 

 high salinity water is carried into the survey region by the southeasterly 

 setting current. 



The lack of agreennent between the flow expected fronn the surface 

 density distribution and that obtained from the dynannic height anomalies 

 again points to the importance of the subsurface distribution of mass. 



Subsurface Circulation 



The bathymetric chart of the 24. 5 sigma-t surface approximately 

 associated with the salinity maximum is shown in figure 31. The isobaths 

 clearly indicate the three vortices in the vicinity of stations 45, 49, and 

 51. The counterclockwise vortices are identifiable by "doming" and the 

 clockwise vortex by a depression in the sigma-t surface. The resem- 

 blance between the isobaths of the 24. 5 sigma-t surface cund the dynamic 

 height contours at the surface relative to 250 m. (fig. 32), both north 

 and south of the island chain, should be noted. This means that the bathy- 

 metric chart of the 24. 5 sigma-t surface essentially indicates the rela- 

 tive flow of the intermediate layer, associated with the salinity maximum. 

 This also suggests that the distribution of mass on the salinity nnaximum 

 layer (sigma-t 24. 5) is of greater importance than the surface distribu- 

 tion of mass (fig. 28). 



The bathymetric chart of the 26. 5 sigma-t surface, approximately 

 at the salinity minimum, is presented in figure 33. Evidence of vortex 

 motion southwest of the island chain is still apparent but less distinct. 

 The location of the counterclockwise vortices is indicated by ridges pro- 

 truding into the survey region from the southwest, and the clockwise 

 vortex is indicated by a trough extending southward from the Oahu and 

 Molokai region, 



22 



