Winter Quarter Lightship 



Monthly mean surface temperatures exhibited no significant 

 departure from the mean for the periods 1879 -99 and 1925 -UO (Bumpus, 

 1957) although the annual mean for 19?6 (56.3°F) was hiPiher than the 

 period of record annual means (1879 -99'y 55.U°Fj 192^-^0, 55.9°F), 



Minimum temperatures throughout the water column occurred 

 during the latter part of January and first- third of February at ap- 

 proximately liO°F, The thermocline ccmmenced development in April. 

 Maximum temperatures at the surface (76°F) were reached during the 

 last third of August, Maximum temperatures may have been missed at 

 the bottom during Septanber. By the first-third of October the autumn 

 overturn had commenced whereupon the temperature declined at a regular 

 rate throu'^hout the water column. The year ended with the temperatijres 

 about 7°F warmer than at the end of 1955. The intrusion of off-shore 

 water during mid-July chilled the vriiole column of water several degrees. 

 This is apparent in the temperature time profile, as it was also at 

 Five Fa them Lightship. 



Surface salinities remained near 32.5°/oo during the first 

 2 2/3 months, dropped to 31° /oo in early April, recovered to 32°/oo 

 during May, gradually declined to 31 /oo in August and slowly recovered to 

 32,5°/oo at year end. Bottom salinities tended to remain fairly close to 

 the surface salinities during the first quarter of the year, became higher 

 by 1 to 1§- parts per thousand v4iile the thermocline was developed then 

 returned to only slightly higher than surface values during the last quar- 

 ter of the year. 



83 



