HYDROLOGY OF THE BRANSFIELD STRAIT 25 



Smith Islands and between Snow and Smith Islands. All trace of Weddell Sea influence 

 is absent at this end of the strait. At all stations in this section the layer below the 

 surface water consists of a mixture of Antarctic surface water with increasing amounts 

 of warm deep water with depth. The shallow depth at these stations precludes the 

 presence of Antarctic bottom water. Table II gives a comparison of the salinities and 

 temperatures for the midway station of the three lines of stations taken in February 1929. 



Table II 



The temperatures and salinities below 100 m. on the north-eastern and middle 

 sections may be contrasted with those of the south-western section: at the midway 

 station in the two former there is a complete absence of warm deep water, whereas in 

 the latter, at St. WS 396, a temperature of 1-18° C. is recorded at 300 m. 



An extra set of observations was made at St. WS 399, between Snow Island and 

 Smith Island. This station is situated in the relatively deep channel between these 

 islands and has a depth of 738 m. From the surface to a depth of 100 m. Antarctic 

 surface water is present ; below this depth it gradually mixes with the warm deep water, 

 which occurs in considerable volume and has an intermediate thermal maximum at 

 400 m. 



NOVEMBER 1929 



In November 1929 the hydrological survey made in February of the same year by 

 the R.R.S. 'William Scoresby' was repeated. As previously, horizontal sections of 

 salinity, temperature and density (a t ) have been drawn and are given in Figs. 27-9. 

 Just as the surface temperatures and salinities in February 1929 reflected summer 

 conditions, so the effect of late winter or early spring is seen in the surface values in 

 November. The low salinity and relatively high temperature of the surface water in 



