Fryln'g Pan Shoals lightship (Figure l6. Table l6) 



Svirface temperatures from late Jmuary through early June were 

 above both the mean and the 1956 record. The winter minimum occurred 

 at the bottom in January and vjas warmer by 5 degrees than the 19^6 mini- 

 mum. A surface maximuui of greater than 80"? appeared briefly in mid- 

 August . 



As in 19^6, the thermocline was the result of an intrusion of 

 relatively' cold water at the bottom which produced a temperature gradient, 

 surface to bottom, of 6 degrees. The minimum temperature in the intru- 

 sion was 2 degrees wanner than the ininiraum in the 19$6 intrusion. At the 

 time of the surface maximum, the temperature gradient was only 2 degrees. 



There was no indication of coastal water arriving at this sta- 

 tion from the north as had been the case in November of 1956. 



Temperature data from October through the end of the year are 

 open to qiBstion and should be considered at best as approximations, as 

 the bathythermograph was not functioning properly. 



Surface salinities were greater than 36.0 °/oo from Jantiary 

 through mid-April and again from October through the end of the year; 

 during these times surface and bottom readings were nearly identical. 

 Summer values were generally less than 36.0 '/oo and were slightly lower 

 than those for the previous year. This is in contrast with the reduced 

 runoff which was apparent north of Gape Hatteras. 



107 



