The South Pacific Current

Abstract

The authors use the historical database from the South Pacific Ocean to investigate the geostrophic flow associated with the Southern Hemisphere Subtropical Front (STF) there. The STF extends across the southern Tasman Sea from south of Tasmania to southern New Zealand, and a weak eastward flow appears to be associated with it. The transport amounts to only about 3 Sv, little of which passes south of New Zealand. An enhanced eastward current band is associated with the front near Chatham Rise, one that extends across the remainder of the South Pacific and is referred to as the South Pacific Current. -from Authors