California Current

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Related to California Current: Kuroshio current

California Current

[¦kal·ə¦fȯr·nyə]

(oceanography)

The ocean current flowing southward along the western coast of the United States to northern Baja California.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

California Current

a cold current in the northeast Pacific Ocean, the eastern periphery of the northern subtropical clockwise circulation of surface waters. It moves from the north to the south along California as the southern branch of the North Pacific Drift. In the south it passes into the North Equatorial Current. Width, 550-650 km; velocity, 1-2 km/hr. The mean water temperature in February varies from 12°C in the north to 25°C in the south; in August the respective figures are 17°C to 26°C. The salinity in the north is 33-34 parts per thousand.

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References in periodicals archive ?

Mesoscale structure and oceanographic determinants of krill hotspots in the California Current: Implications for trophic transfer and conservation.

Distribucion espacial de Eufausidos (Euphausiacea) en la Isla Malpelo, Pacifico Tropical de Colombia

Variability of egg escapement, fishing mortality and spawning population in the market squid fishery in the California Current Ecosystem.

ESSENTIAL MARKET SQUID (DORYTEUTHIS OPALESCENS) EMBRYO HABITAT: A BASELINE FOR ANTICIPATED OCEAN CLIMATE CHANGE

In 2007 and 2008, years previously identified as having high mean concentrations (>60 individuals/1000 [m.sup.3]) of rockfish larvae in the northern California Current ecosystem (Auth, 2011), we identified the rosethorn rockfish as an indicator species.

Seasonal distribution of late larval and juvenile rockfish (Sebastes spp.) and associated environmental conditions off Oregon and Washington: new insights based on genetics

Distributional atlas of fish larvae and eggs in the California Current Region: Taxa with 1000 or more total larvae, 1951-1984.

A baseline investigation into the population structure of white seabass, Atractoscion nobilis, in California and Mexican waters using microsatellite DNA analysis

For example, in 2005 the spring transition off Vancouver Island occurred in late April, but persistent upwelling did not develop until late July (3) after the development of strong upwelling favorable wind stress in the northern California Current (Pierce et al., 2006; Fleischer ct al.

Pacific hake, Merluccius productus, autecology: a timely review

Influence of the 1997-98 El Nino on the surface chlorophyll in the California current. Geophysical Research Letters.

Variabilidad interanual de clorofila en El Golfo de California

Climatic warming and the decline of zooplankton in the California Current. Science 267: 1324-1326,

Xantus' Murrelet, Sythliboramphus hypoleucus I: Status and Conservation

Prominent features were a strong positive association with sea surface temperature S of San Diego and in the eastern tropical Pacific, and an equally strong negative association with sea level pressure directly above the California Current, in an area centered approximately over 30-40 [degrees] N and 120-130 [degrees] W, just off the Patton Escarpment [ILLUSTRATION FOR FIGURE 7 OMITTED].

Dendroclimatology of Torrey pine (Pinus torreyana Parry ex Carr.)

It is hypothesized that the population dynamics of intertidal barnacle species along the central California coast reflect the dynamics of the California Current System and wind-induced upwelling (Farrell et al.

Larval transport and population dynamics of intertidal barnacles: a coupled benthic/oceanic model

The cold-water California Current and the warmer Southern California Counter Current converage to create a periodic upwelling of nutrient-laden water that fosters exceptionally high production of phytoplankton and other plant growth.

Sanctuary at sea

Founded in 1987 by David Packard (who also underwrote the aquarium's construction), MBARI is dedicated to studying the ecology of Monterey Bay, which is distinguished by a 2-mile-deep canyon and by the cleansing action of the California Current. The clarity of these deep-sea images puts home TV to shame.

Birthday doings at Monterey Bay Aquarium

On the other hand, there are two main marine current systems in northwestern Mexico: the California Current (CC) and the North Equatorial Counter Current (NECC).

Detecting Opisthonema libertate (Gunther, 1867) phenotypic stocks in northwestern coast of Mexico using geometric morphometrics based on body and otolith shape