New Zealand Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research abstracts

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HYDROLOGY AND CIRCULATION IN CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN COOK STRAIT, NEW ZEALAND

R. A. Heath

New Zealand Oceanographic Institute, Department of Scientific and Industrial Research, Wellington, New Zealand

Abstract The circulation and hydrology of Cook Strait are defined using both the geostrophic method and the hydrologiieal characteristics of the different water masses. Cool, low salinity water in a branch of the Southland Current, which extends along the east coast of the South Island into Cook Strait, mixes above the depth of the continental shelf with warmer, more saline Subtropical Water from both the D'UrVille Current and the East Cape Current. Subtropical Water derived from the East Cape Current occupies the Cook Strait Canyon; below 100 m this water meets the Subtropical Water of the southwest-flowing D'Urville Current in a convergence situated in the Oook Strait Narrows. Mixed water derived from all three currents passes eastwards across Cook Strait and up the east coast of the North Island.

N.Z. Journal of Marine and Freshwater Research 5 (1): 178-99
(Received for publication 6 August 1970)

PDF file of entire paper: medium quality (1016K); (scanned from paper original: notes about this process)

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