Satellite thermal imagery and in situ biological and physical data are presented that describe the spatial variability of phytoplankton biomass and species composition in relation to the physical structure at the sea surface during persistent upwelling off northern California. Surface patterns in temperature, geostrophic velocity, chlorophyll, and particle size structure...
In June 1987 the geostropic flow in the coastal transition zone off northern California (between 50 and 150 km off the coast from Point Reyes to just north of Cape Mendocino) was dominated by a well-defined, southward-meandering current. Three vertical sections are presented that show the hydrographic structure of the...