ANNUAL TEMPERATURE. 



91 



Annual Temperature. 



From table 40, page 81, it will be seen that the mean temperature of two j-ears at 

 Hut Point was — 1-4°F., of two years at Cape Evans +1-4°F., and of one year at Cape 

 Royds +3-4°F. Now Hut Point is near the end of McMurdo Sound, and, therefore, very 

 near to the Barrier ; Cape Royds is near where McMurdo Sound opens into the Ross Sea 

 and Cape Evans is between the two. It is, therefore, likely that these different temperatures 

 represent a real geographical variation of temperature which decreases as one proceeds south 

 in McMurdo Sound from the Ross Sea to the Barrier. 



A few simultaneous temperature observations made during 1911 and 1912 at Cape Evans 

 and Hut Point contirm this conclusion, as will be seen from the following table: — 



Table 51. 

 Difference hetircen SimidUnimiis Ohserralions of Temperature at Cape Evans and Hut Point. 



The average variation of the mean temperature in individual years from the five-year 

 mean is only 2-l°F. (see table 41, page 82) ; if this is partly due to geographical position, 

 the coldest year 1911 being observed at Hut Point, and the warmest at Cape Royds, it shows 

 a remarkably small variation from year to year, for average variations of this amount are 

 met with at much lower latitudes. 



In table 52 are entered the mean temperatures of the stations in the Ross Sea area. 



Table 52. 

 Mean Annual Temperature. 



