Scripps Institution of Oceanography

The STEP-I Expedition of the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, took place during the period 15 September to 14 December 1960 aboard R/V Horizon. Prior to arrival in Talara a study of the north boundary region of the Peru Current was carried out. Between Talara and Antofagasta, drogue measurements of subsurface currents were made at six locations, and four one-thousand kilometer-long profiles of various oceanographic measurements were made. After departure from Antofagasta, two long oceanographic profiles were made, one from the coast to the intersection of the Tropic of Capricorn and the ninety-fifth west meridian, and the second from that point northward across the equator to l0 deg N, 95 deg W. A reduced program of scientific observations was carried out from there to San Diego. A description of the various observational methods and tables of resulting data will be found in this report. Biological investigations and data will be reported in Part II.