or 



= (37) 



r 



y 



The x,y-coordinate system can be oriented in such a way that 

 the y axis points in a direction T) of the flow of the Gulf Stream 

 along the east coast of the United States. Then, the q -axis, 

 perpendicular to f\ , points toward the southeast, approximately. 

 In this case, it is found from figure 1, that dD/Q£ = -2.5 x 10"^ 

 between Cape Hatteras and Nova Scotia. With the assumption that 

 dD/d 7 ? « 0, or at least dD/d?? < dD/d£ , it follows from (37) that 



V 



g§ cos 45° + g(D fa ♦ p $L) ^- = . ( 3 8) 



This equation relates the (average) density distribution and the 

 slope of the sea surface in the direction of the flow with the slope 

 of the layer of no motion perpendicular to the flow and the verti- 

 cally integrated mass transport of the Gulf Stream while moving 

 northeastward. 



Suppose that there is no compensation of db /$7) by the density 

 distribution p(T] ), and, therefore, in the direction of flow cjp/d 7 ? 

 « 0. Then c)b /d 7 ? must be positive, since V(df/dy) is a positive 

 quantity, and dD/c)£ < 0. The order of magnitude of db /d 7 ? can 

 be estimated with the assumptions made before, and 



;o 



dL . V o7' cos ^° .. v f . - cos 1£ 



3^ ^ - ^r- - V 5 ctncp — l — ^ (39) 



Q7 I gp • 2.5 . 10 J K gp .2.5 .10 J 

 between Cape Hatteras and Nova Scotia where q> = 39°, and R = 6370 km 

 is the radius of the earth. According to H.U. Sverdrup et al.(1946) 

 the total mass transport of the Gulf Stream towards the NE equals 

 55 Mill, nr 5 per sec. With a total width of the current of, approxi- 

 mately, 250 km, 



45 



