40 



har derimod flere Undersøgelsesstationer i de store Fjorde, 

 der her skjærer sig ind i Landet. 



I Altenfjorden fandtes et fintt lyst grøngraat Ler, i 

 Porsangerfjorden et mørkt grønligt, der ligner Rhabdammina- 

 Leret. og i Tanafjorden et ensartet.' lysgraat Ler. 



Den Del af Østhavets grunde Havbund, der i Syd 

 for Beeren Eiland begynder at skraane ned mod det vest- 

 lige Dyb, er vistnok i Almindelighed bedækket af et graat 

 Ler, men dette er ofte biblandet et brunt Sandler, der 

 danner det øverste Lag af Sedimentet og stundom udgjør 

 den overveiende Del af Bimdproven. Disse Uregelmæssig- 

 heder har jeg ved Tegningen af Kartet undladt at tåge 

 Hensyn til. Som det vil sees af dette, har jeg lagt det 

 graa Ler som en Fortsættelse fra Norges Kystbanker op- 

 over mod Nord forbi Vestsiden af Beeren Eiland og videre 

 langs Spidsbergens Kyst. Efter hvad der i det nærmest 

 foregaaende er sagt. vil det imidlertid være indlyseude. at 

 de Grændser, jeg har trukket for det graa Lers Udbredelse 

 imellem Norge og Beeren Eiland. er af en noget ubestemt 

 Art eller ialfald maa betragtes med et vist Forbehold. 

 Denne Usikkerhed ved Kartet indskrænker sig imidlertid 

 til denne Del af Havbunden; de øvrige Grændsers Paalide- 

 lighed er sikret ved talrigere Stationer og ved en større 

 Grad af Regelmæssighed med Hensyn til Sedimenternes 

 Fordeling. 



Det graa Ler langs .Spidsbergen synes gjeimemgaaende 

 at være af en noget morkere Farve end Norges Kystler. 

 men hvad der forovrigt er sagt om det sidste, gjælder i 

 sin Almindelighed ogsaa om hint. 



De Bundprøver, der udelukkende bestaar af graat Ler. 

 er sjelden optagne paa nogen storre Dybde end 400 — 450 

 Favne. Langs den nordlige Del af den norske Kyst lindes 

 der blot nogle faa Stationer. som danner Undtagelser fra 

 denne Regel. De mest abnormale i denne Retning er Sta- 

 tionerne 134, 13(3 og 137 1 , hvor vi linder det graa Ler 

 indtil et Dyb af 844 Favne. Ved Betragtning af Dybde- 

 kartet over det norske Hav vil man se. at Havbunden. der 

 hvor disse Stationer forekommer, viser en meget eiendom- 

 melig Formation. Kystbankerne. der langs Vesteraalen og 

 Lofoten bar en temmelig snever Udstrækning. udvider sig 

 nemlig paa dette Sted temmelig pludselig til et storre Om- 

 raade. Omkring de nævnte Stationer gjør Dybdekurveu 

 for 800 Favne en skarp og trang Bugt og fortsættes i en 

 ny Retning, der næsten danner en ret Vinkel med dens 

 foregaaende. Denne eiendommelige og interessante Form 

 af Havbunden er meget nøiagtig bestemt ved talrige Dybde- 

 maalinger. Som det senere skal omtales, la ndtes der ogsaa 

 i denne Bugt en Mængde Stene. 



Paa de sydligere Dele af de norske Kystbanker synes 

 det graa Ler i Almindelighed at gaa ned til større Dyb 

 end hengere Nord.. I ( )st for Island fandtes det graa Ler 



the Expedition bad several observing-stations in the great 

 fjords of that region. 



In the Alten Fjord, the surface-layer of the bottom 

 was found to consist of a fine, light-coloured. greenish-grey 

 clay: in the Porsanger Fjord, of a dark. greenish clay, 

 resembling Rhabdammina; and in the Tana Fjord, of a, 

 light-grey homogeneous clay. 



Tbe shallow bed of the East Sea. which. south of 

 Beeren Eiland. begins to slope down towards the western 

 depths. is, indeed, in that locality chiefly covered with a grey 

 clay: but a brown, sabulous clay often occurs as the top 

 laver of tbe deposit. and sometimes constitutes the princi- 

 pal part of tbe sample. Meanwhile, I had no regard to 

 these exceptional characteristics when drawing the aunexed 

 map, in wbich the grey clay is shown to extend from the 

 Norwegian coastal banks northward past the western shores 

 of Beeren Eiland. and thence along-the coast of Spitzber- 

 gen. From what has been stated above, it will. how*ever, 

 be apparent, that the limits I have traced for the distribu- 

 tion of the grev clay between Norway and Beeren Eiland 

 are to a certain extent problematical. or should at least 

 be regarded with some reservation. But tbis uncertainty 

 does not extend to any other part of the sea-bed marked 

 off on the map: numerous observing-stations. together with 

 greater uniformity of distribution. vouch for accuracy as 

 regards the outline of the remaining sections. 



The grey clay occurring along the coast of Spitzber- 

 gen would appear to be somewhat darker in colour than 

 the Norwegian shore-deposit ; but for the rest, what has 

 been observed respecting the latter, will as a rule apply 

 with equal force to the former. 



Samples of the bottom consisting exclusively of grey 

 clay were rarely obtained from a greater depth than 400. 

 to 450 fathoms. In some few localities, however. off tbe 

 nortbern part of the Norwegian coast. this limit was con- 

 siderably exceeded. The most notable exceptions to tbe 

 rule occur at Stations 134, 136, and 137, 1 where tbe 

 grey clay reaches -as far down as 844 fathoms. On 

 examining the Depth Chart. a very peculiar contiguration 

 will be seen to characterize the basin of the North 

 Atlantic in tbe locality where those Stations are located. 

 Here the coastal banks, comparatively narrow off Vester- 

 aalen and Lofoten, suddenly expand. Round the afore- 

 said Stations. the curve of depth (800 fathoms) makes a 

 sudden bend. after which it strikes off in a new direction 

 well-nigh at right angles to that it had before. This sin- 

 gular and interesting feature in the contour of the ocean- 

 bed bas been accurately determined by numerous trustwortby 

 soundings. Here. too. witbin tbe bend of the curve. tbe 

 deposit contained a great many pebbles. 



At the southern extremity of the Norwegian coastal 

 banks, the grey clay would as a rule appear to attain a 

 greater depth than at the nortbern. East of Iceland tbis 



Disse Stationer ligger imellein (37° og (>f>° N. B. 8° og 9° 0. L. 



Between lm. B7° X., long. 8° E. and lat. 68° X., long, 9° E. 



