Detecting a response to weak sea breezes in the New South Wales coastal ocean

Current meter data from the coastal ocean at Sydney, south-eastern Australi a, were analysed to seek evidence of a response to the prevailing summer se a breeze. A response to the sea breeze was found in the currents. This is s ignificant since the magnitude of the sea breeze was small by comparison wi th winds associated with large-scale pressure systems and the East Australi an Current. Responses were determined by analysing short periods (3-5 days) of sea breeze activity as opposed to the whole 2-month data set. The corre lations between the alongshore nearshore diurnal-period currents and the lo cal wind stress during the sea breeze periods were significantly higher tha n the correlations during non-sea-breeze periods. Despite the stronger corr elations the sea breeze could only account for around one-quarter of the Va riance in the diurnal-period currents. However, the detection of the respon se to the sea breeze is significant since the sea breeze has never previous ly been identified as a process for forcing alongshore nearshore currents o n this shelf.