The Leeuwin Current off Western Australia, 1986–1987

Abstract

Abstract The Leeuwin Current in the Indian Ocean off Western Australia differs from the other major eastern boundary currents, e.g., California Current, since it flows rapidly poleward against the prevailing equatorward wind. The first large-scale study of the Leeuwin Current was conducted between North West Cape (22°S) and the south-western corner of Australia (35°S) from September 1986 to August 1987. As part of this Leeuwin Current Interdisciplinary Experiment (LUCIE), current meters were deployed along the shelf-edge (from 22° to 35°S) and across the shelf and upper slope (at 29.5° and 34°S), and CTD surveys were made out from the shelf at several latitudes. Except for about one month (January) the flow between the surface and about 250 m was strongly poleward within 100 km of the shelf-edge, with a poleward transport of about 5 Sv (Sv ≡ 6 m3 s−1). The 325-day mean currents at the shelf-edge were poleward at about 10 cm s−1, opposing a mean equatorward wind stress of 0.3 dyn cm−2. The monthly mean cur...