﻿130 
  JOURNAI. 
  OF 
  THE 
  WASHINGTON 
  ACADEMY 
  OE 
  SCIENCES 
  VOIv. 
  12, 
  NO. 
  5 
  

  

  far 
  too 
  meager 
  a 
  number 
  with 
  which 
  to 
  delineate 
  an 
  isothermal 
  chart 
  

   of 
  such 
  an 
  ocean. 
  Lines 
  of 
  temperature 
  observations 
  are 
  much 
  too 
  

   few 
  in 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  oceans, 
  to 
  say 
  nothing 
  of 
  temperature 
  data 
  sufficient 
  

   for 
  ascertaining 
  the 
  facts 
  of 
  variations 
  of 
  temperature, 
  seasonal 
  or 
  

   other 
  at 
  any 
  place, 
  except 
  in 
  the 
  regions 
  about 
  the 
  North 
  vSea, 
  the 
  Bal- 
  

   tic 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  Mediterranean. 
  

  

  A 
  knowledge 
  of 
  ocean 
  temperatures 
  at 
  all 
  depths, 
  and 
  for 
  different 
  

   seasons 
  of 
  the 
  year, 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  great 
  significance 
  to 
  the 
  science 
  of 
  phys- 
  

   ical 
  oceanography, 
  and 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  its 
  outstanding 
  needs 
  at 
  this 
  time. 
  

   It 
  is 
  fundamental 
  to 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  ocean 
  circulation 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  prob- 
  

   lems 
  of 
  the 
  marine 
  biologist, 
  and 
  is 
  believed 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  fair 
  index, 
  as 
  well, 
  

   to 
  certain 
  configurations 
  of 
  the 
  sea 
  bottom. 
  

  

  Closely 
  related 
  to 
  the 
  problem 
  of 
  ocean 
  circulation 
  and 
  to 
  some 
  of 
  

   the 
  problems 
  of 
  marine 
  biology 
  is 
  the 
  salinity 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  waters. 
  

   The 
  salinity 
  varies 
  throughout 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  waters 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  and 
  a 
  better 
  

   knowledge 
  of 
  its 
  variations, 
  especially 
  the 
  vertical 
  distribution, 
  is 
  

   most 
  important, 
  and 
  is 
  as 
  yet 
  not 
  even 
  so 
  well 
  known 
  as 
  the 
  vertical 
  

   distribution 
  of 
  temperature.^ 
  

  

  Sedimentation. 
  — 
  In 
  oceanographic 
  surveys 
  bottom 
  specimens 
  should 
  

   be 
  secured 
  when 
  sounding 
  the 
  depths 
  of 
  the 
  sea, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  secure 
  

   samples 
  of 
  the 
  materials 
  of 
  the 
  ocean 
  floor 
  for 
  the 
  study, 
  among 
  

   other 
  purposes, 
  of 
  sedimentation, 
  which 
  is 
  fundamental 
  to 
  the 
  geol- 
  

   ogist 
  in 
  considering 
  sedimentary 
  rocks. 
  The 
  character 
  and 
  chemical 
  

   constitution 
  of 
  the 
  deposits 
  on 
  the 
  ocean 
  floor 
  is 
  of 
  prime 
  importance 
  

   to 
  the 
  marine 
  biologist 
  and 
  the 
  volcanologist. 
  The 
  bottom 
  speci- 
  

   mens 
  should 
  be 
  secured 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  way 
  that 
  it 
  can 
  be 
  ascertained 
  how 
  the 
  

   deposits 
  are 
  serially 
  laid 
  down, 
  and 
  this 
  requires 
  as 
  deep 
  a 
  penetra- 
  

   tion 
  as 
  possible 
  for 
  the 
  specimen-gathering 
  device. 
  

  

  In 
  contemplating 
  the 
  many 
  problems 
  connected 
  with 
  a 
  study 
  of 
  

   the 
  sea 
  it 
  is 
  at 
  once 
  realized 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  not 
  possible 
  even 
  to 
  mention 
  

   many 
  of 
  them 
  within 
  the 
  time 
  at 
  my 
  disposal 
  and 
  one 
  at 
  once 
  comes 
  

   to 
  the 
  thought 
  how 
  great 
  is 
  the 
  task 
  of 
  finding 
  out 
  what 
  is 
  in 
  the 
  sea, 
  

   and 
  it 
  is 
  the 
  magnitude 
  of 
  this 
  task 
  that 
  should 
  urge 
  the 
  maritime 
  

   nations 
  of 
  the 
  world 
  to 
  a 
  more 
  serious 
  and 
  active 
  consideration 
  of 
  those 
  

   problems 
  as 
  to 
  how 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  more 
  expeditiously 
  carried 
  out. 
  

   To 
  this 
  end 
  international 
  cooperation 
  is 
  essential, 
  for 
  it 
  is 
  a 
  world 
  prob- 
  

   lem, 
  and 
  of 
  equal 
  importance 
  to 
  all. 
  

  

  The 
  units 
  for 
  the 
  oceanographical 
  investigations 
  should 
  be 
  as 
  

   comprehensive 
  as 
  can 
  efficiently 
  work 
  together. 
  For 
  the 
  most 
  effi- 
  

  

  9 
  Ency. 
  Brit. 
  ed. 
  11. 
  p. 
  983. 
  

  

  