Measurements of the California Countercurrent off Baja California

Thirteen parachute drogues were laid at a depth of 250 m along a 110-km line extending southwestward from the 1000-m isobath off northern Baja California. A movement to the northwest was observed on the inshore 28 km of the line, with a maximum speed of about 8 cm/sec at the center. A movement to the southeast was observed along the next 70 km, with a maximum speed of about 13 cm/sec. At the outer end of the line, the movement was very slow, probably within the measurement error, and the geostrophic flow (which agreed with the results of the drogue movements in the inshore area) indicated northwesterly flow. These results are very similar in pattern to those obtained earlier in an area 700 km farther north, but the velocities and the widths of the various flows are much less.