HYDROLOGY OF THE BRANSFIELD STRAIT 



By A. J. Clowes, M.Sc, a.r.c.s. 



(Text-figs. 1-68) 



MATERIAL 



THEhydrographic material on which this report is based was obtained from a series 

 of stations made by the ships of the Discovery Committee in the Bransfield Strait 

 and in the adjacent sea. The observations used were taken in April 1927, February 1929, 

 November 1929 and December 1930, and are summarized as follows: 



Table I 



In addition to the above lines of stations, odd stations, taken at varying times in the 

 Bransfield Strait and de Gerlache Strait, have been used in the construction of the hori- 

 zontal sections. The positions of all stations used are plotted in Fig. 1 . Ice data have been 

 obtained from our own observations, from a collection of ice reports made by Mr Risting 

 of the Norwegian Whaling Association, and very largely by the kind help of Mr Nielsen 

 of the Hector Whaling Company, whose personal experience of the Bransfield Strait has 

 been of great value to us. 



INTRODUCTION AND BATHYMETRIC FEATURES 



The Bransfield Strait is a long, narrow strip of water approximately 70 miles wide, 

 whose general direction lies north-east and south-west. It is bounded on the north-west 

 side by the various islands of the South Shetland group, and on the south-east side by 

 Graham Land and Trinity Peninsula, which together form the most northerly part of 

 the Antarctic Continent. Fig. 1 shows the position and extent of the Bransfield Strait 

 with its boundaries. 



