Investigation of the Equatorial Undercurrent on the eastern side of the Galapagos Islands

Abstract

The Equatorial Undercurrent, or EUC, flows eastward throughout most of the Pacific Basin and acts as a conduit for water mass conservation in the equatorial region. The Galapagos Islands sit atop a platform located in the middle of the EUC path, which acts as a barrier to the EUC flow. To better define the flow, I gathered velocity and hydrographic data during a student field cruise in January 2006.