67 



forbi Spitsbergens Vestkyst, I ilen mod Øst ganende Gren 

 synker Saltgehalten meget langsomt og jevnt, indtil den 

 ved Grændsen af det af Expeditionen undersøgte Felt bar 

 oaaet 3.50 "/,,. medens den i den nordover (lydende Arm 

 meget burtigt synker til endog under 3.45 °/ for atter ved 

 Spitsbergens Nordvestkyst at hæve sig til lidt over 3.45 " ,,. 



Denne i Vest for Spitsbergen forefundne ringe Salt- 

 boldighed i Overfladen er dog sandsynligvis kun eiendom- 

 melig for den varmere Aarstid, da der fra Spitsbergens 

 mægtige Is- og Snebræer Hyder store Mængder Ferskvand 



ued i det tilstodende Hav. 



Indflydelsen af saadant fra Kysterne udgaaende Fersk- 

 vand indskrænker sig dog hovedsagelig kun til meget smaa 

 Dyb. da det saavel af disse som tidligere publicerede Un- 

 dersøgelser af samme Art fremgaar, at et over saltere Vand 

 Hydende ferskere Overfladelag besidder en mærkelig Evne 

 til meget længe at bolde sig forholdsvis ublandet, saaledes 

 at den fra Kysterne hidrørende Fortynding i Overfladen 

 ofte kan spores 30 til 40 Mile tilhavs, medens man ved 

 Bunden i Nærheden af Land ja endog i Fjordene kan linde 

 meget saltboldigt Vand. Denne Eiendommelighed træder 

 meget skarpt frem i Observationsrækken No. 1 til 8. 1 da 

 Saltgehalten her fra Overfladen til 1 Favns (2 Meters) Dyb 

 tiltager med over 1 ",„. medens den sideu temmelig jevnt 

 voxer med kun 0.06 °/ for hver Favns Tilvæxt af Dybden. 

 De paa Spitsbergens Banker tagne Observationer viser da 

 ogsaa ganske rigtigt. at Våndet der paa Bunden i nogeu 

 Afstand fra Land besidder en Saltstyrke, som paa sine 

 Steder endog gaar op til over 3.50 %• 



Paa begge Sider af den midt etter det norske Hav 

 Hydende salte Overfladestrøm synker Saltgehalten paa den 

 eue Side mod den norske Kyst og paa den anden Side 

 mod den ostgronlandske Polarstrom. en Synkning, som paa 

 Grund af de herskende Strømforholde hverken er jevn 

 eller regelmæssig. Saaledes Hyder der fra Nordsøen langs 

 Norges Vestkyst i nordlig Retning en lidet saltholdig Over- 

 Hadestrom. som ved den 62de Breddegrad, hvor Kysten bøier 

 nordostover. forlader denne, og fortsætter fremdeles i nord- 

 lig Retning, indtil dens Virkninger i omtrent 40 Miles 

 Afstand fra Land efterhaanden taber sig. En mindre ud- 

 præget lignende Kyststrøm gaar fra Vestfjorden udover i 

 sydvestlig Retning og naar ligeledes temmelig langt tilhavs, 

 førend dens Indflydelse paa Saltgehalten i Overfladevandet 

 fuldstændig forsvinder. Mellem disse Kyststromme kaster 

 der sig en smal Arm af det saltere Atlanterhavsvand for- 

 holdsvis nær ind under Land. hvor den meget skarpt 



1 Disse Observationer kunne desuden ogsaa tjene som Bevis for 

 Fortrinligheden af den af Ekman angivne Yandhenter. som ved denne 

 Leilighed benyttedes. 



current flows in a nortb-easterly direction, as far north 

 alniost as Beeren Eiland. wbere it divides into two arms. 

 one running east into Barents' Sea. aud fcbe otber in a 

 north-westerly direction past the west coast of Spitzbergen. 

 In the branch flowing east, the amount of salt diminishes 

 very slowly and gradually down to 3.50 per cent, at the 

 limit of the region explored by the Expedition, whereas in 

 th.it running north it rapidly sinks even below 3.45 per 

 cent. rising, bowever, on the north-western coast of Spitz- 

 bergen a little above 3.45 per cent. 



This low percentage of salt in the surface-water west 

 of Spitzbergen is. however. in all probability the result of 

 summer beat, vast quantities of freshwater pouring down 

 to the sea at that season of the year from the immense 

 glaciers and snow-fields of that group of islands. 



The effect of such an influx of fresh water from the 

 coast is. however, mostly confined to a very triHing deptb, 

 the result of the observations tåken on the Expedition. and 

 of others in connexion with the same subject previously 

 published. being to show. inter alta, that freshwater possesses 

 tin 1 remarkable property of floating on salt water for some 

 considerable time in a comparatively unmixed state, so 

 that its iuHuence may be frequently traced at a distance 

 of from 30 to 40 geograpbical miles off shore. whereas the 

 bottom-water close in shore. nay that of friths and estu- 

 aries even. often contains a very large proportion of salt. 

 This peculiar feature was strikingly instanced in the series 

 of observations from No. 1 to 8. 1 the amount of salt at 

 the depth of 1 fathom (2 metres) exceeding that at the 

 surface by 1 per cent. whereas the subsequent increase 

 with the depth did not amount to more than 0.06 per cent 

 for every fathom. The observations tåken on the banks 

 of Spitzbergen show that the maximum percentage of salt 

 in the bottom-water some distance from land. in certain 

 localities, reaches 3.50. 



On either side of the salt surfa ce-current flowing through 

 the medial portion of the Norwegian Sea. the amount of salt 

 diminishes. eastward in the direction of the Norwegian coast 

 and westward in the direction of the Arctic current off 

 East Greenland; hut this diminution. owing to the effect 

 of ocean currents, is however anything but regular and 

 gradual. Thus, for instance. a surface-current. with a low 

 percentage of salt. flows from the North Sea in a north- 

 erly direction along the west coast of Norway, from which 

 it diverges neax the 62nd parallel of latitude, continuing 

 on. still in a northerly direction. till. ahout 40 geograph- 

 ical miles from land. its influence gradually ceases to 

 be felt. Auother coastal current. more limited in extent, 

 flows from the Vestfjord in a south - westerly direction. 

 its influence on the amount of salt in the surface- 

 water being likewise perceptible comparatively far out at 

 sea. Between tbese coastal currents runs a narrow arm 



1 These observations likewise attest the excellence of Ekman's 

 apparatas for collecting- sea-water, which was used on this ocoasioi 



10* 



