250 meters showed a northward flow about ^0 miles wide at speeds 

 of about 0.5 knot. These seem to ve2;ify various reports that there 

 is a northward flow inshore throughout the year at depths below 200 

 meters. Above 200 meters the north-setting countercvirrent that 

 develops when winds weaken or are southerly appears to be part of 

 the deep countercurrent. 



When northerly winds become weak or negligible in late autumn 

 and winter, a north-setting count erctirrent forms at the surface well 

 inshore of the main south-setting California Current. During this 

 period upwelling lessens and numerous irregular eddies may occur 

 along the coast. There is evidence that the nearshore countercurrent 

 may be influenced by coastal tidal currents observed from 5 to 20 

 miles offshore; these tidal currents are rotary and change direction 

 continually, so that during a tidal cycle they will have set in all 

 directions of the compass, with speeds varying according to lunar 

 phase or wind effect. 



TABLE 5 OFFSHORE WINDS IN THE VICINITY OF i+0°N, DECEMBER 



REGION 



A 







REGIC 



)N B 



Dir. 





MEAN 





DIE. 





MEAN 



FROM fo 



SPEED ( 



kn) 



FROM 



io 



SPEED (kn) 



S 20 





Ik 





NW 



30 



8 



SE 16 





12 





N 



1^ 



8 



N 15 





13 





SE 



13 



9 



NW 12 





6 





- 



- 



- 



22 



