New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

Temperature and salinity mean and variability within the Subtropical Front over the Chatham Rise, New Zealand

Stephen M. Chiswell

National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research Limited
P.O. Box 14 901
Wellington, New Zealand
email: s.chiswell@niwa.cri.nz

Abstract  Estimates are made of the mean and variability in temperature and salinity across the Subtropical Front along 178°30¢E, east of New Zealand. These estimates are made from six sections taken over 5 years, but biased towards spring and autumn sampling. Monte-Carlo simulations of the potential errors introduced by this sampling suggest that the mean fields can be reasonably well determined, but the annual cycles have large relative error. April 1999 residuals were anomalously warm and saline compared with the other five sections. These anomalies may be linked to an increased strength of the Wairarapa Eddy at that time.

Keywords  Subtropical Front; climatology

M01061 Received 6 July 2001; accepted 1 October 2001
New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research, 2002, Vol. 36: 281–298
0028–8330/02/3602–0281 $7.00 © The Royal Society of New Zealand 2002

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