Low-Level Trade Winds Over the Western Coral Sea

Abstract

During the trade wind season, the wind over the western Coral Sea is highly coherent over very long distances (at least 1000 km). At any site, the wind direction changes little with time, while the wind speed varies with period of 7–15 days. The wind direction is westward over the Coral Sea, but northwestward (longshore) over the Australian continental shelf, probably as a result of the land-sea contrast.