APPENDIX III 

 Monthly Wind Stress Curl Distributions 



The monthly mean wind stress curl distributions are 

 displayed in Charts 37 to 48. The plotted values are es- 

 timates of the vertical component of the wind stress curl, 

 calculated by applying a finite difference, spherical coor- 

 dinate curl operator to the fields of monthly mean sur- 

 face wind stress. The contoured values are plotted in 

 units of dyne cm~ 2 per 100 km. A value of 1.0 dyne cm -2 

 per 100 km is equivalent to 1.0 X 10" ' dyne cm -3 . The 

 contour interval is 0.25 dyne cm~ 2 per 100 km. Positive 

 wind stress curl is associated with surface Ekman diver- 

 gence (upwelling). Negative values are shaded. These 

 correspond to surface Ekman convergence (downwelling). 



In the following charts, the month is indicated in the 

 figure legend in the upper right corner of the charts. The 

 coastline configuration is superimposed on the grid as a 

 visual aid and does not represent a conformal mapping. 



75 



