70 FRIDTJOF NANSEN. M.-N. KI. 
with low temperature and salinityl, and a temperature-minimum of be- 
tween —ı'5 and —1°8° C., at between 40 and 60 metres. 
In the eastern part of the Polar Current, at Amdrup’s Stat. III 
(Ag. III) and Ryders Stat. XII (R. XII) the minimum is at 30—50 metres. 
The salinity of this minimum varies between 34'3 and 346 %9. In the 
western part of the current, near the Greenland coast (W. IX), the sal- 
inity of the minimum is much lower, viz. 33°2—337 Yo. The density 
of this minimum is about 276—27'8 (N. VII and Ap. II). Near the 
Greenland coast it is much lower, 26'7—27'1 (N. IX). 
Underneath this cold Polar water coming from the North Polar 
Basin, is a warm layer of Atlantic water with temperatures above zero, 
and salinities above 349 %0. The density is about 28:04—28'07. Under- 
neath this warm layer is colder water again, the temperature of which 
gradually sinks below zero, and decreases downwards to below —ı°C., 
at depths greater than 1000 metres (see Sections IV—VI, VIII, X). The 
salinity of this cold bottom water is very uniform, as a rule between 
3490 and 3492 "00 (computed by Knudsen's Tables from the amount 
of Chlorine), and its density increases gradually downwards, from 28:07 
towards 28°11 or 28:12. 
These conditions, typical of the North Polar Current, are also found 
south of Amundsen’s Stations, at Kolthoff-Ostergren’s Station II (7 II), 
and at Amdrup’s Stat. II (Ag. II) west of Jan Mayen (see Sect. VII). 
Even east of Jan Mayen, at “Michael Sars's” Station 29 (MS 29) there 
are indication of the same polar conditions, except that the upper 
temperature minimum was not so low (—0'66° C.), and was depressed 
somewhat deeper, to about 80—100 metres, with salinities about 347 %00. 
In the sea between Jan Mayen and Iceland there is also to a great 
extent the same vertical distribution of temperature and salinity as in 
the Fast Greenland Polar Current farther north, which is proved by the 
Stations 18 und 19 (MS 18, MS 19, Sect. IX) of the Michael Sars, and 
several Stations of the Ingolf Expedition. 
Ryders Station II (June 22, 1891, À II, Pl. V), in 68° 24'N. Lat. 
and 14° 4‘ W. Long., is a somewhat strange exception. Here the ver- 
tical distribution of temperature is very different from that shown by all 
other series of temperatures in this region, as is seen by the following 
! The writer has before pointed out that it is a mistake to believe that this layer of polar 
water, with low salinity, is formed by the melting of the ice, as Prof. ©. Pettersson 
and other authors seem to assume. The water is an outflow of the Polar water cov- 
ering the North Polar Basin to a depth of about 200 metres, and this water has its 
low salinity by being diluted with fresh-water, chiefly from the Siberian rivers. 
