NO. T3 SALINITY OF PACIFIC SURFACE WATER — CLARK II 



The Tsu-Shima current, advancing toward the northeast, reaches 

 the Strait of Tsugaru, through which a large amount of water flows 

 to the eastward from the Sea of Japan to the Pacific. Continuing 

 further toward the northeast the greater part of what remains of 

 the Tsu-Shima current flows through the Strait of La Perouse into 

 the Sea of Okhotsk, and a comparatively small portion continues 

 northward along the west coast of Sakhalin. 



The salinity of the surface water in the Strait of La Perouse is 

 greatly diminished by an admixture of fresh water from rain and 

 snow, but at depths greater than 2$ meters it is found to be the same 

 as that of the water passing through the Korean Strait. 



The principal branch of the Kuro-Siwo which follows the southern 

 coast of Japan passes with great swiftness through van Dieman 

 Strait, and thence runs parallel to the coast only touching the extremi- 

 ties of the capes which extend furthest outward from the southern 

 shore, Siwo-Misaki, Kawatsu, etc. It does not enter any of the gulfs 

 or bays. In winter its limits are readily recognized by the high tem- 

 perature and the high specific gravity, but in summer they can be 

 determined only by the latter. 



The salinity of the water of the Inland Sea is much less than that 

 of tlie neighboring parts of the Pacific or of the Sea of Japan ; Maka- 

 roff found it to be in January 1.02527, in May 1.02544 and in June 

 1.02632, the average being 1.0252; the "Challenger" found the 

 average salinity of the eastern part in May to be 1.02375. 



The Kuro-Siwo only follows the coast of Japan as far as Cape 

 Inaboie Saki, at that point turning to the east. Many observations 

 made on vessels running between Kamchatka and Japan have proved 

 that in the later summer months the warm water extends much 

 further to the northward than the parallel of Cape [nabo'ie Saki 

 though, judging from the specific gravities, the northern limit of the 

 Kuro-Siwo scarcely passes 4.0 ° X. At that latitude the surface water 

 of the Kuro-Siwo turns to the eastward, and has a specific gravity 

 of less than 1.0260. However, water with a specific gravity of 

 I.0260 is found in the dee] is id" the Bering Sea and reaches to within 

 200 meters of the surface. It is to be noticed that in the Bering Sea 

 the isotherms rise toward the east, so that we are justified in believing 

 that the warm water approaches nearer the surface in the eastern than 

 in the western part. 



In the Sea of Japan the heavy water, which is borne by the Tsu- 

 Shima current, turns to the eastward; but it does not at all points 

 touch the island of Xipon as it is deflected by a moderately strong 



