The North Hawaiian Ridge Current: A Comparison between an Analytical Theory and Some Prior Observations

Abstract

A previously developed analytic model of Rossby wave-induced mean current along lateral boundary is least-squares fitted to the geostrophic current derived from two closely sampled hydrographic sections windward (northeast) of the Hawaiian Islands. The field of Rossby waves used to predict the current, called the North Hawaiian Ridge Current, was determined by earlier studies of the North Pacific. The hydrographic surveys were conducted in January 1974 and October 1975 and were meridional, i.e., roughly orthogonal to the ridge. The model fits the data fairly well.