An estimate of Bass Strait water Movement in the Western Tasman Sea during the Australian Coastal Experiment

Abstract

The presence and movement of Bass Strait Water along the continental slope of south-eastern Australia during the Australian Coastal Experiment (ACE) is estimated by evaluating the amount of salt and heat imported from Bass Strait for the five standard hydrographic ACE sections. South of Jervis Bay (35°S), the amounts decrease from September 1983 to February 1984 by a factor of two. North of Jervis Bay, the amounts depend strongly on the position of the East Australian Current and its eddies. It appears that during periods of low eddy activity Bass Strait Water can be carried northward well past Newcastle (33ºS).