ALTIMETER OBSERVATIONS OF THE PERU-CHILE COUNTERCURRENT

Data from Geosat and TOPEX altimeters are used to infer the structure of the Peru-Chile Countercurrent, a jet that flows from at least as far north as 10 degrees S (historical data suggests 7 degrees S) to 35 degrees-40 degrees S, maintaining its position between approximately 100-300 km offshore. Although the annual mean current cannot be determined from altimeter observations, the nearly antisymmetric patterns in spring and fall, combined with historical observations, suggest that the countercurrent is poleward at most times and is maximum in spring and minimum in fall. Previous studies have linked the offshore countercurrent at 7 degrees S to the Equatorial Undercurrent west of the Galapagos Islands, suggesting that the countercurrent is part of a continuous flow that extends from the western equatorial Pacific to the region off Chile between 35 degrees-40 degrees S.