172 



per hour.) Only 29 readings exceeded 0„23 MPH, and the 

 majority were less. Many of the higher readings were obtained 

 either in the Malibu region or in the vicinity of Redondo 

 Canyon. 



On two cruises when winds were light or absent, the 

 direction and velocity of surface currents were obtained 

 concurrently with 28 meter observations by means of a current 

 cross. There are too few of these to allow any statistical 

 treatment, but one receives the general impression that sur- 

 face velocities under these conditions are from one-half to 

 one-fourth those at 15 feet, and that the direction of flow 

 is in much the same direction as the subsurface currents. 

 This difference in velocities was rather unexpected, and it 

 probably reflects errors in measuring low velocity currents 

 by either current crosses or meters, rather than any real 

 differences in currents themselves,. Other series of surface 

 current observations using current crosses (without concurrent 

 meter readings) also showed, under conditions of little or 

 no wind, velocities ranging from negligible to 0.38 MPH« 



From our own results and from earlier observations by 

 other investigators, it was evident that velocities were 

 generally low, so low in fact that the current meters - 

 themselves probably were unreliable both as to direction 

 and velocity (the limit of accuracy is reached somewhere 

 between 0.1 and 0.2 MPH). While the velocities often 

 decreased with increasing depth, there was no consistent 

 relationship, nor were the directions obtained of much value. 

 With one exception,, the longer tirae=series showed no clear 



