THE DIAGNOSTIC CALCULATION OF EQUATORIAL FLOWS IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE WESTERN PACIFIC OCEAN

On the basis of observational data of the eastern part of the West Pacific Ocean, a diagnostic calculation of equatorial flow for this region is performed by using the authors’ model equations and computing scheme and methods. For the first cruise (January 3-March 4, 1979), the results show: (i) The primary driving force of the equatorial surface flows comes from the prevailing northeasterly wind field, with an average uniform wind speed Vw = 6.3 m/s. The steady westward wind produces divergent westward flows in the surface layers, causing an upwelling near the equator. The importance of the steady wind stress in the upper layer (120 m) decreases with depth and becomes insignificant at the level of z = 75 m or z = 100 m, (ii) The equatorial undercurrent is a strong eastward and equator-ward flow, with its eastward component of undercurrent larger than its meridional component. The core of the undercurrent is at the thermocline, and its maximum velocity is 88-90 cm/s at the level of z=200 m. The deeper f