On some aspects of the deep circulation of the Pacific

An attempt is made to present a coherent picture of the deep circulation in the Pacific on the basis of present temperature, salinity, and carbon 14 data. The water below 2500 meters in the Pacific moves from south to north. The water rises in the North Pacific, probably reaching the surface layer. Attempts to estimate the northward speeds and transport of this deep flow give values of 0.05 to 0.1 cm/sec and 15 to 25×106 m3/sec, respectively. There is some indication that the water flows more rapidly up the western side of the Pacific, and there is some indication of an eastward flow along the equator. Furthermore, it is difficult to reconcile all the available data without postulating a somewhat more complicated flow pattern in the South Pacific.