RÉSUMÉ

Received 12/7/85, in revised form 10/6/86, accepted 19/6/86. Surface current measurements have been obtained from the Eastern tropical Pacific Ocean by means of drifting buoys tracked by the NIMBUS and, ARGOS satellite systems since 1977. Near-equatorial divergence of Ekman transport is indicated qualitatively by persistent avoidance of the Equator by drifters. Upwelling velocity and transport were estimated from the horizontal divergence of surface current fields obtained by optimum interpolation of overall and monthly composite data. The estimated divergence is predominantly meridional. Average upwelling velocity and transport in the region 1.5°N-1.5°S, 80oW-130oW are estimated to be 1.5 m d-1 and 32 x 106 m3 S-l. Seasonal variation of the estimated upwelling agrees c10sely in phase but is larger in magnitude than that implied by the annual and semiannual constituents of 14°C isotherm depth variations in the eastern equatorial Pacific