66 



som nordenfor tindes betydelig større Dyb paa indtil over 

 2000 Favne (3658 Meter). Østhavet, det vil sige Havet 

 østenfor en Linie fra Spitsbergen til det nordlige Norge, 

 er overalt meget grandt, da Dybden der paa faa Steder 

 overskrider 2Q0 Favne (366 Meter). 



De talrige udførte Temperaturobservationer vise. at 

 Våndet i den af Expeditionen undersogte Del af Østhavet 

 med TJndtagelse af den østligste og nordligste Strækning 

 holder Varmegrader ligefra Overfladeri til Bunden, saaledes 

 som dette ogsaa er Tilfælde med Våndet paa de norske 

 Banker, som paa enkelte Steder strækker sig ud til en 

 ikke ubetydelig Afstand fra Kysten. Helt anderledes er 

 Forholdet i det vestenfor liggende dybere Hav. som med 

 Hensyn paa Temperaturforholdene naturlig kan inddeles i 

 2 Hovedstrøg, den i den østlige Del nordover gaaende saa- 

 kaldte Golfstrøm og den i den vestlige Del sydover gaaende 

 østgrønlandske Polarstrøm. Grændsen mellem disse gaar 

 nordenom Island op til Jan Mayen, bøier i en Bue sønden- 

 om og østenom denne og overskrider paa omkring 3 ° vestlig 

 Længde med nordosthg Retning den 71de Breddegrad. 

 Herfra gaar den mod Øst til henimod 7° østlig Længde og 

 fortsætter derfra i nordlig og lidt vestlig Retning til nor- 

 denom den 80de Breddegrad. 



I den østenfor denne Grændse beliggende Del af 

 Havet besidder Overfladevandet en forholdsvis hoi Tempe- 

 ratur, der endog overskrider Luftens midt om Sommeren, 

 hvorhos ogsaa Våndet i de nærmest under Overfladen be- 

 liggende Lag holder Varmegrader, saaledes at 0° forst fore- 

 rindes i et Dyb af omkring 500 Favne (914 Meter), hvor- 

 fra Temperaturen jevnt og langsomt synker til omkring 

 — 1.°3 ved Havbunden. 



I den østgrønlandske Koldvaudsstrom er derimod Tem- 

 peraturen i selve Overfladen meget lav men om Sommeren 

 i isfrit Vand dog overalt over 0°, medens den allerede fra 

 faa Favnes Dyb og nedover lige til Bunden holder sig ' 

 under 0°. 



Med Hensyn paa Saltgehalten i Overfladevandet hen- 

 vises til Kartet No. I. hvori tindes indtegnet en større 

 Del af de Tal, der fremgaa som Middel af.de efter Chlor- 

 og Egenvægtsbestemmelserne beregnede Værdiér for Salt- 

 mængden. Eiter disse < >bservationer tindes ogsaa optruk- 

 ket Grændserne for 3.55, 3.50, 3.45 og 3.4(> °/o Salt, saa- 

 ledes som deres Form maa antages at være i Sommermaa- 

 iii derne. Kartet viser, at den i Syd ind i det norske Hav 

 strømmende Varmvandsstrøm forer Vand af temmelig sim' 

 Saltgehalt, som i de sydligste Egne paa begge Sider a f 

 Færøerne gaar op til 3.55 % eller endog derover. Herfra 

 gaar Strømmen videre i nordostlig Retning med nogel 

 lavere Saltgehalt (omkring .'1.525 ",,,) indtil henimod Iieeren 

 Eiland, hvor den deler sig og sender en Arm mod Ost ind 

 i Østhavet og en anden i nordlig og noget vestlig Retning 



land and Jan Mayen there is a vast ridge. and here the 

 depth does not reach 1500 fathoms (2743 metres); but 

 south and north of that ridge it is much greater, in some 

 localities more than 2000 fathoms (3658 metres). Barents' 

 Sea. or the tract of ocean stretching between Novaja 

 Zemlja and an imaginary line drawn from Spitzbergen 

 to the northern extremity of Norway, is everywhere exceed- 

 ingly shallow, the depth in but few places reaching above 

 200 fathoms (366 metres). 



The 1 extensive series of observations shows that the 

 temperature of the water throughout the part of Barents' 

 Sea investigated by the Expedition. saviug the most easterly 

 and northerly tracts, exbibits everywhere a temperature above 

 zero, from the surface to the bottom, as is also the case 

 with the water on the great Norwegian banks, which, in 

 certain localities, extend to a considerable distance from the 

 coast. A very different relation rules in the deep w-estern 

 section. which, as regards temperature, may be divided into 

 two principal tracts, an eastern, with the Gulf Stream, as 

 it is called. Howihg north, and a western, with the Arctic 

 current. flowing south, along the shores of East Greenland. 

 The boundary-line between these two currents extends 

 north of Iceland to the island of Jan Mayen, where it 

 makes a bend southward and eastward, crossing, in long- 

 itude about 3" W., with a north-easterly direction, the 71st 

 parallel of latitude. From thence it runs east, and. wben 

 in longitude about 7° E.. takes a northerly. and somewhat 

 westerly direction. continuing on past the 80th parallel of 

 latitude. 



In the tract of ocean stretching to the east of this 

 boundary, the temperature of the surface-water is compara- 

 tively high, exceeding even that of the atmosphere in the 

 middle of summer: the water, too. some distance below the 

 surface exbibits a temperature- above zero. the depth at 

 which 0° is reached being about 500 fathoms (914 metres), 

 from which the temperature sinks slowly and gradually to 

 about — l."3. at the bottom. 



In the cold East Greenland current. the temperature 

 at the surface is on the other hand exceedingly low, though 

 in summer above zero where the water is free from ice; 

 0" however is reached at the depth of a few fathoms. 



As regards the amount of salt in the surface-water. 

 the reader is referred to Plate I, in which will be found 

 most of the figures representing the mean valnes, deduced 

 from the chlorine and specific gravitv-determinations, for 

 the proportion of salt. In Pl. I. too. are laid. down curves 

 constructed from these results, to show the limits of dis- 

 tribution for the following percentages of salt: 3.55, 3.50, 

 3.45, and 3.40, as tbey may be assumed to extend in the 

 summer months. The warm current, flowing from the south 

 into the Norwegian Sea, brings with it. as shown by the 

 Plate, an indraught of water containing a comparatively large 

 amount of salt, the maximum percentage, upwards of 3.55, 

 being reached in the most southerly tracts, along the eastern 

 .•nid western shores of the Feroe Islands. From thence, 

 with a slightly reduced amount of salt (about 3.525). the 



