I9I5- ^'o. 2. 



SPITSBERGEN WATERS. 



17 



Omv—: 



wo- 



200 



300 



ifOO 



500- 



600 



700^ 



800- 



900- 



J000\ 



1100 



1200^ 



in the sum- 

 mer of 191 2 

 than in the 

 summer of 

 1910. This 

 is perhaps 

 still better seen if our 

 charts giving the hori- 

 zontal distribution of sali- 

 nit}' and temperature in 

 the summer of 1912, at the depths of 50, 100, 200, 

 300, and 400 metres (Figs. 5 — 9) be compared with 

 the corresponding charts drawn b}- HELLAND-HAnsEX 

 and myself for the summer of 1910 [191 2. Pis. II & 

 III]. The differences are striking, and it is easil}' 

 seen that the Atlantic Current must have been much 

 more developed near the Spitsbergen coast in 1910 

 than in 191 2. E. g. at 300 and 400 metres all water 

 near the Spitsbergen shelf, examined in 1910. had 

 salinities above 3500 o'oo, while in 191 2 all salini- 

 ties observed at these depths were below and even 

 much below this value, except at the southernmost 

 station, Stat. 57, at 300 metres. There are also similar 

 striking ditïerences at the other depths, of 200, 100, 



and 50 metres, indicat- 



Fig. 12. Section from Station 13, at the Lilliehöök Glacier, 

 along Cross Bay iStat. 14I to Stat. 17 west of the Spits- 

 bergen coast (see Fig. il. Scales same as in Fig. 11. 



ing that the Spitsbergen 

 Atlantic Current must 

 have been compara- 

 tively little developed 

 in 1912. 

 If the chart Fig. 10, showing the distribution of Temperature and Sali- 

 nity at the Sea-Surface during our homeward voyage, September ist to 

 5th, 1 91 2, is compared with the corresponding chart for September 6th to 

 9th, 1 910, in Helland-Hansen's and my paper on the Spitsbergen Sea 

 [191 2, PI. I], it is seen that the Atlantic surface-water with salinities above 

 35.00 ^QQ, and also above 34.90 ^ 00 had probably a wider distribution to- 

 wards the north-east in September 1912 than in September 1910, at least 

 between 76^ and 74*^ N. where our route was near that of the Isachsen 

 Expedition. But the surface-temperature was considerable lower during 



Vid.-Selsk. Skrifter. I. M.-N. K\. 1915. No. 2. 2 



