I92I. No. II. THE STRANDFLAT AND ISOSTASY. 203 



The low rocky ridges of this flat plain attained an altitude of i6 

 metres above sea-level. Further inland there was a slightly lower plain 

 covered with gravel and pebbles. 



Near the shore, at an altitude of about 9 metres, was a broad flat 

 plane in the rock, a raised shore-line several hundred metres long. 



Small shore ridges of wave-washed pebbles were seen in several 

 places up to the highest level of 16 metres. 



The strandfiat extended inland, rising slightly, to the foot of the 

 oversteepened mountain sides (Fig. 160). 



About 3 kilometres north of \'erleegen Hook I found the depth 

 to be only 30 metres, indicating that the strandfiat continues as a sub- 

 merged platform some distance seawards. About 5 kilometres north of 

 the Hook I found a depth of 48 metres, but then it suddenly dropped to 

 152 metres and deeper further north. 



North-west Coast of North East Land. 



Great Stone Island, and Low Island outside, on the north-west side 

 of North East Land, are low and seem to form a well-developed strand- 

 flat cut in rocks of the Hecla Hook system. I have not. however, landed 

 in this region. From this coast a wide submerged platform extends about 

 27 kilometres (15 naut. miles) north-westwards, with depths chiefly about 

 15 to 25 metres. The outer edge may possibly be at a depth of al)out 25 

 or 30 metres, where the bottom begins to slope more steeply towards 

 depths greater than 100 metres. In about So*' 25' N. Lat.. at a distance 

 of about 35 kilometres from North East Land, I sounded 30 metres. 

 This wide platform mav probablv be considered as a part of the strandfiat. 



The Fjords. 



In the inner parts of the fjords of Spitsbergen, the strandfiat is not 

 so well developed as along the outer coasts, but there are nevertheless 

 traces of a strandfiat in many places, indicating that the shore erosion 



le east coast of Liefde Ba\\ The lake is seen to the right. August 9, 19 12. 



