The Central California Coastal Circulation Study

Abstract

The Central California Coastal Circulation Study (CCCCS) was an 18‐month field program designed to study the variability of water mass characteristics and the velocity field on the continental shelf and upper continental slope of California from Point Conception to San Francisco. This study was funded by the U.S. Department of Interior, Minerals Management Service (MMS), as part of an overall assessment of the impact of development of oil and gas resources on the ecosystem of coastal California. The Santa Maria Basin area, which extends from Point Conception to Point Buchon (100 km to the north) and about 50 km offshore, is of particular interest, as this area will be the focus of oil and gas exploration and production over the next decade. However, MMS is also interested in how the ocean variability in this region relates to the large‐scale flow of the California Current System. The field work for CCCCS was conducted from February 1984 through July 1985 by Raytheon Service Company. This paper summarizes some of the preliminary results from analysis of the CCCCS data.