﻿MAR. 
  4, 
  1922 
  FARIS: 
  SOMe 
  PROBLEMS 
  OF 
  THE 
  SEA 
  125 
  

  

  ill 
  determination. 
  Supplementing 
  the 
  information 
  from 
  this 
  source 
  

   there 
  are 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  records 
  of 
  drift 
  bottles, 
  wrecks 
  and 
  other 
  

   floating 
  objects. 
  But 
  at 
  best 
  these 
  permit 
  conclusions 
  of 
  a 
  qualita- 
  

   tive 
  nature, 
  only. 
  We 
  still 
  lack 
  observations 
  that 
  will 
  permit 
  of 
  quan- 
  

   titative 
  conclusions, 
  and 
  these 
  can 
  come 
  only 
  as 
  the 
  result 
  of 
  system- 
  

   atic 
  observations. 
  

  

  Results 
  of 
  a 
  divergent 
  character 
  are 
  found 
  in 
  the 
  records 
  of 
  drift- 
  

   ing 
  objects. 
  It 
  is 
  only 
  by 
  the 
  use 
  of 
  great 
  numbers 
  of 
  records 
  of 
  this 
  

   character, 
  that 
  conclusions, 
  even 
  approximately 
  correct, 
  may 
  be 
  

   reached. 
  Thus 
  the 
  whole 
  subject 
  of 
  oceanic 
  circulation 
  is 
  still 
  rel- 
  

   atively 
  a 
  virgin 
  field. 
  For 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  currents 
  investigations 
  are 
  

   needed 
  to 
  determine 
  its 
  extent, 
  its 
  width, 
  vertical 
  and 
  horizontal 
  

   ^'elocity 
  distribution, 
  and 
  its 
  wind 
  and 
  seasonal 
  variations. 
  

  

  Even 
  in 
  the 
  case 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream, 
  upon 
  which 
  considerable 
  

   good 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  done, 
  there 
  is 
  still 
  needed 
  much 
  work 
  of 
  a 
  quan- 
  

   titative 
  kind. 
  For 
  instance, 
  it 
  is 
  known 
  that 
  the 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  ve- 
  

   locity 
  and 
  temperature 
  axes 
  of 
  the 
  stream 
  are 
  not 
  necessarily 
  coinci- 
  

   dent. 
  But 
  the 
  exact 
  relation 
  between 
  the 
  two 
  yet 
  remains 
  to 
  be 
  dis- 
  

   covered. 
  Likewise 
  the 
  seasonal 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  positions 
  of 
  these 
  

   two 
  axes, 
  and 
  the 
  variations 
  in 
  velocity 
  and 
  temperature 
  due 
  to 
  

   changes 
  in 
  the 
  velocity 
  and 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  winds, 
  yet 
  remain 
  to 
  be 
  

   investigated. 
  Considerable 
  additions 
  to 
  our 
  knowledge 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  

   Stream 
  can 
  yet 
  be 
  made 
  regarding 
  the 
  horizontal 
  and 
  vertical 
  distri- 
  

   butions 
  of 
  velocit}^ 
  of 
  currents, 
  temperature, 
  density, 
  salinity, 
  and 
  their 
  

   variations 
  with 
  the 
  winds 
  and 
  seasons. 
  This 
  involves, 
  also, 
  elaborate 
  

   tidal 
  and 
  current 
  observ^ations 
  in 
  the 
  Caribbean 
  Sea, 
  the 
  Gulf 
  of 
  Mex- 
  

   ico 
  and 
  the 
  adjacent 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  Atlantic 
  Coast, 
  and 
  possibly 
  across 
  

   to 
  the 
  European 
  Coast. 
  

  

  Tidal 
  currents. 
  — 
  Intimately 
  connected 
  with 
  the 
  tides 
  and 
  forming 
  

   a 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  same 
  phenomenon 
  are 
  the 
  tidal 
  currents. 
  Out 
  of 
  sight 
  

   of 
  land, 
  tidal 
  currents 
  are 
  generally 
  very 
  weak. 
  But 
  there 
  they 
  offer 
  

   an 
  interesting 
  field 
  for 
  study, 
  since 
  off-shore 
  they 
  are 
  most 
  frequently 
  

   of 
  the 
  rotary 
  type. 
  Close 
  inshore 
  considerable 
  work 
  remains 
  yet 
  to 
  

   be 
  done 
  to 
  bring 
  out 
  the 
  characteristics 
  of 
  local 
  currents, 
  especially 
  

   in 
  the 
  less 
  frequented 
  places 
  of 
  the 
  world. 
  There 
  is 
  also 
  need 
  for 
  

   investigations 
  of 
  a 
  local 
  character 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  changes 
  in 
  the 
  cur- 
  

   rent 
  velocities 
  due 
  to 
  winds 
  and 
  changes 
  in 
  atmospheric 
  pressure. 
  

  

  Such 
  investigations 
  are 
  of 
  the 
  greatest 
  importance, 
  aside 
  from 
  their 
  

   scientific 
  value, 
  in 
  safeguarding 
  navigation, 
  in 
  harbor 
  works, 
  and 
  in 
  

   coast 
  protection. 
  

  

  