Description:
Oceanographic observations were made during the first seven cruises of the FOCAL program along 23°W from July 1982 to January 1984. Using both direct current measurements and the dynamical method the equatorial current system is described. The seasonal variations of the North Equatorial Countercurrent and South Equatorial Current are related to the wind field. A weak eastward surface current near 2°‐3°S seems to be a permanent feature during the period of observation.