Conditions in the eastern equatorial Pacific related to the intertropical convergence zone of the winds. Qggp. gig _B_e

Abstract-Surface temperature and salinity data gathered by merchant ships along the TahitiPanama track from 1955 to 1978 are considered in relation t o cloud cover. Equatorial upwelling is associated with strong cloudiness at its northern boundary. The cloudiness indicates the presence of the intertropical convergence zone of the winds. During the seasonal absence of upwelling, the position of the intertropical convergence zone is southernmost and the cloudy zone is south of the equator. In the case of EI Niño, equatorial upwelling weakens, the northern cloud cover is minimal, and the intertropical convergence zone may shift southward. During EI Niño, the surface salinity is affected by the position of the intertropical convergence zone