91 
SALINITY OF INSHORE WATERS. 
By E. M. MEEK. 
Owing to the very meagre information available as regards 
the salinity of inshore waters, it was decided to take fortnightly 
samples at Cullercoats throughout the year 1922. 
The locality of the station was as follows :—Cullercoats, 
beacons on; Tyne Lights, South Pier just clear of North Pier, and, 
with one exception, when the sea was too rough, the boat went 
exactly to this spot on every occasion. Unfortunately, however, 
owing to very stormy weather during the second fortnight in 
January, when none of the fishing boats ventured out at all, no 
sample was obtained for that period. 
The results (Table I) until the 16th of March show nothing 
of much moment, but the considerable drop in salinity on that 
date, and again on March 31st, had to be explained. It was noted 
that whereas the previous samples had been taken at or very near 
high tide, the two in question were taken several hours before 
that time. 
With this in mind, it was decided to take samples at the same 
spot every two hours during a complete neap tide and a spring tide. 
The dates fixed were April 6th and 13th, and the results are shown 
in Table II, and graphically in Figs. | and 2. 
The ebb tide. off Cullercoats runs in a northerly direction 
and turns seawards, whereas the flood tide is a southerly current 
which ends by turning towards the land. It is evident therefore 
that normally the ebb tide will have the effect of directing the 
outflow from the River Tyne towards Cullercoats, which is only 
one mile to the north of the river, and that a series of observations 
during a complete tide should prove this. 
Figure 1 shows that this is the case. The results, however, 
are apt to be disturbed by the winds. Those from the south and 
east accentuate the effect of the Tyne water on the salinity at 
Cullercoats, while those from the north and west tend to neutralise 
that effect. (Table II., Fig 2). 
