WHY IS THERE A TRITIUM MAXIMUM IN THE CENTRAL EQUATORIAL PACIFIC THERMOCLINE

It is suggested that the tritium maximum in the central Pacific is cau sed by two water pathways across the North Equatorial Countercurrent ( NECC), one from the central Pacific and the other from the Mindanao Cu rrent. It is argued that an interior pathway exists, by which tritium- rich thermocIine waters from the subtropical North Pacific cross the N ECC in the central Pacific. The transport in this pathway, however is small compared with that from the Mindanao Current.