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DISCOVERY REPORTS 



Fig. 4. Topography of the sea-floor of the South-west African region. Depths in metres. The hatched area shows 

 the extent of the continental shelf. For origin of data see text. 



peak on the ridge rising to less than 1000 m. from the surface. Soundings over this deeper part of the 

 ridge are scarce and there may be a gap in about 22° S., but even so it can be little more than a break 

 in the 3000-m. contour, and the results of the ' Meteor ' expedition have already demonstrated the 

 significance of this ridge in the circulation of the deeper waters. The Walvis Ridge forms a very 

 effective barrier to northward movement of the Antarctic bottom water, the potential temperature of 

 the bottom water in the Cape Basin being less than i-o° C, while in the Angola Basin it averages more 

 than 2-0° C. (Wust, 1935). 



