W,, in cm /sec, K3 is taken to be 3.3 for surface currents (ship routing 

 and drift computations) and 2.2 for the average current down to the 

 therm ocline (convergence/divergence computations) . Obviously, 

 there is a time lag between the change of the wind and response of 

 the sea. This lag seems to be shorter than previously believed, 

 however, and is partially minimized by the 24-hour averaging. 



Since all computations are carried out in the standard FNVvT 

 grid system, u and v current components are determined at approx- 

 imately 200 nautical mile intervals for all Northern Hemisphere 

 ocean areas. From these components, direction and total transport 

 (nm/ddy) fields are determined and stored on magnetic tape for later 

 output in chart form or as special messages giving the currents at 

 specified latitude/longitude intersections. 

 6. RESULTS 



Figure 1 is a hand analysis of one of the first current computations 

 made on a synoptic schedule (18 GMT 16 November 1964). The con- 

 tours represent total current transport in nautical miles per day; 

 direction arrows have been plotted in the most significant current 

 systems . One can clearly distinguish such well-known features as the 

 Gulf Stream, Sargasso Sea, Labrador Current, Kuroshio and Cyashio. 

 The low-latitude, westerly return flow which results primarily from 

 the ''wind component" term is well defined in both the Atlantic and 

 Pacific. A narrow equatorial countercurrent was obtained as a result 



8 



