Indirect evidence of deep flow east of a North Pacific seamount

East-west vertical sections centered on Kinmei Seamount (35N, 172E) of potential temperature, salinity, and oxygen, based on recent standard hydrographic measurements, and vertical profiles ofin situ temperature and density ( ₄) east of the seamount, based on STD data, show contrasting variability in the deep water characteristics east and west of the seamount. These data are consistent with horizontal variations in water mass properties (temperature-salinity and temperature-oxygen curves) east of the seamount between 2,600–3,900 m but not west of the seamount. East of the seamount on surfaces of constant potential temperature (or density) salinity and oxygen are higher at a station 200 km from the seamount than at stations on either side. From these relations and from known deep water properties of the North Pacific, it is suggested that east of the seamount, between 2,600–3,900 m, the observations are consistent with northward flow, which is interpreted to be a western boundary current with an east-west scale of about 300 km.