Geostrophic currents derived from oceanic density measurements north and south of the subtropical convergence east of New Zealand

Temperature and salinity observations at 17 stations off the east coast of New Zealand are presented. Geostrophic current stations just north of the Subtropical Convergence suggest the presence of an anticyclonic eddy similar to but east of that found by Garner in the period February‐March 1963 (Garner 1967). Ridgway (in press) has suggested that eddies formed at East Cape proceed down the east coast of the North Island of New Zealand giving rise to the East Cape Current. It is proposed here that these eddies move east after leaving the coast in the vinicity of the southern limit of the Hikurangi Trench.