The circulation of deep water in the Tasman and Coral Seas

Abstract

The physical oceanography of the Tasman and Coral Seas is reviewed with an emphasis on the deep currents. There are many uncertainties in the deep circulation pattern. The available data are used to develop an idealised circulation to estimate the likely path taken by water flowing from a depth of 5000 m in the Tasman Sea. The model suggests that the water would finally reach the surface layers south of the Antarctic Convergence with a median delay of 600 years.