Three 24‐hour multiple‐ship surveys, each ship lowering a bathythermograph at 15‐minute intervals, revealed the presence of internal waves off southern California. The waves had the form of vertical fluctuations of temperature of up to 90 feet over a wide range of frequencies dominated by an approximate semidiurnal period. They appeared to be roughly parallel to the top of the continental slope and to move shoreward at a speed of about 7 knots in deep water and less than 1 knot over the shallow shelf. There may be evidence of internal surf as the waves approach the coast.

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