41 



paa 571 Favne: ligeledes forekom det paa Vestkysten ai 

 Spidsbergen i et usædvanligt Dyb (Stationerne 367 og 361, 

 535—905 Favne). 



Som udgj ørende en Del al' Bundpføverne eller altsaa 

 som det underliggende Lag af Sedimenterne er det graa 

 Ler fundet paa de største Dybder. Dette skal nærmere 

 omtales under Beskrivelsen af de øvrige Slamarter. 



Stene fandtes ofte i Bundprøverne, især paa de grun- 

 dere Steder. Beskrivelsen over deres Art og Fdbredelse 

 paa Kystbankerne. saavelsom paa de ovrige Dele af Hav- 

 bunden. vil jeg gjøre til et særskilt Afsnit af denne Af- 

 handling. 



I kemisk Retning frembyder det graa Ler paa Grund 

 af sin Uensartethed eller sit vexlendé Blandingsforhold min- 

 dre Interesse end de finere Sedimenter. Lerets Kalkgehalt, 

 der nærmest tiltrækker sig vor Opmærksomhed, retter sig 

 naturligvis til en vis Grad elter dets Forraad paa uorgani- 

 ske Dyrelevninger og udgjør derfor i Almindelighed ingen 

 væsentlig Mængde i- Forhold til de ovrige mineralske Be- 

 standdele. Man linder imidlertid ikke sjelden, at Leret i 

 sig selv bar en ganske anseelig Kalkgebalt (indtil 20pOt.), 

 der ikke kan tilskrives de synlige, mekanisk biblandede 

 Rester fra Dyrelivet. 



I to forskjellige Bundprover fra det graa Ler bar jeg 

 udfort fuldstændige Analyser. Den ene Prøve (362) er fra 

 Expeditionens næstnordligste Station og bestaar blot af graat 

 Ler; den anden (213) er optaget mdenfor Biloculinlerets 

 Omraade fra dets underliggende Lag. 



Station 362. 



N.B. 79 IJ 59'. 0. L. 5" 40'. 459 Favne (839 Meter). 

 Temperatur ved Bunden — 1.0°. Blaaliggraafr, nogenlunde 

 ensartet Ler. Næsten ingen uorganiske Dyrelevninger. 

 Nogle smaa Stene. 



4.13 

 2.98 

 2.27 

 7.66 

 . 0.28 

 1.24 

 4.02 

 Spor 

 5.64 



Udekompnneret 



a f 



Saltsyre 



72..-.0 pCt. 



j Jernoxyd . . . . 1.51 

 (Lerjord . . \ . 9.92 

 }. Magnesia .... Spor 

 I Kiselsvre . ' . • . .61.07 



Den norske Nordhavsexpédition. 



Sum 10U.72 



Schmelck: Chemi. 



deposit was met witb as far'' down as 571 fatboms; and off 

 the west coast of Spitzbergen it also occurs unusually deep 

 (at Stations 367 and .'Hil. 535 — 905 fatboms). 



As constituting some portion of the samples, vi/, 

 tbeir bottom layer, the grey clay bas been brought up from 

 the greatest deptbs. On this head I shall have more lu 

 say when describing the other deposits. 



Pebbles vvere frequently found in the samples of the 

 bottom, more especially in tbose from shallower localities. 

 For investigating tbe nature of tbese constituents and tbeir 

 distribution alike on tbe coastal banks and elsewhere over 

 tbe bed of the ocean-tract explored. a separate section of 

 tliis Meinoir will be devoted.. 



As a subject of chemical analysis, the grey clay. by 

 reason of its vant of bomogeneity. or tbe extent to which 

 it ditfers mechanically. is less interesting than. the riner 

 of the oceanic deposits. The amount of lime which, from 

 a chemical point of view, chiefly attracts attention. must 

 of course be more or less dependent on tbe proportion of 

 inorganic animal remains, and from tliat source, therefore, 

 as a rule. but trifling, as compared with the other mineral 

 constituents. Meanwhile, this clay is not infréquently found 

 to contain a very considerable portion of lime (as much 

 as 2U per cent) which cannot be derived from percep- 

 tible calcareous remains of animals mecbanically mixed 

 with tbe deposit. 



Of the grey clay. I have submitted two different 

 samples to rigorous analysis. One of these came up at 

 the most northerly Station (362). and consisted exclusively 

 of grey clay; the other was obtained at Station 213. from 

 the under layer of Biloculina clay. 



Station 362. 



Lat. 79° 59' N., long. 5° 40' E.: 459 fatboms (839 

 metres): bottom-tem]>erature — 1.0°. A bluish-grey. com- 

 paratively homogeneous clay containing a few pebbles, but 

 hardly any inorganic animal remains. 



Loss by ignition . 4.13 



Protoxide of iron . 2.98 



Sesquioxide of iron 2.27 



Alumina .... 7.66 



Lime ..... 0.28 



Magnesia .... 1.24 



Carbonate of lime . 4.< 12 

 Phosphoric acid Traces 



Silica ...... 5.64 



Decomposed 



Hydrochloric Acid 

 2409 per cent. 



Unileomiposed 



by 



Hydrochloric Acid 



7'2..".ij per cent. 



Sesquioxide of iron 1.51 

 Alumina .... 9.92 

 Magnesia . . . Traces 

 Silica 6 i. 07 



100.72 



