Coral Sea flow budgets in winter

Abstract

Winter cruises in the Coral Sea indicate very little southerly volume transport a across 20ºS. Most of the inflow from the east between New Caledonia and the Solomon Islands leaves the area between these islands and New Guinea. This outflow is considered to form a major source water for the lower cell of the Equatorial Undercurrent (Cromwell Current) which is in geostrophic balance. South of 20°S., the East Australian Current is postulated to be a series of southward meandering anticyclonic eddies near the edge of the continental shelf. In the north-west Coral Sea there is high variability of volume transport both in strength and direction, and no regular pattern can be discerned.