Observations of the Shelf-Edge Current South of Australia, Winter 1982

Abstract

Results are presented from an oceanographic cruise along Australia's south coast in June–July 1982. A narrow shelf-edge current flowed eastwards along the shelf edge for the entire distance. Features of particular interest were (i) various eddies on the offshore side of the current, (ii) very sharp surface fronts, at which geostrophic Richardson numbers were less than 1.0 in 10 out of 34 cases (iii) the formation and offshore transport of saline water in the Great Australian Bight, and (iv) the strongly nonlinear dynamics in the neighborhood of Cape Leeuwin.