igi2. No. 12. THE SEA WEST OF SPITSBERGEN. I3 



The Spitsbergen Atlantic Current. 



The océanographie observations made during the cruise of the Farm 

 in the summer of 1910 are especial!}- valuable for the stud}^ of the Spits- 

 bergen Atlantic Current. It was chiefly with this aim in view that the 

 plan of the océanographie work of the Farm was laid, when Capt. Isachsen 

 discussed it with the writers befoi-ehand. It was thought to be of much 

 interest to have this but little known continuation of the Norwegian At- 

 lantic Current thoroughly investigated. 



Our knowledge of the Spitsbergen Atlantic Current had hitherto 

 chiefly been based upon the observations made during the Norwegian 

 North Atlantic Expedition in 1878, when six sections were taken of it in 

 the region between Bear Island and northern Spitsbergen [cf. H. Mohn, 

 1887]. The temperatures observed during this expedition were remar- 

 kably good, considering the imperfection of the instruments of that time; 

 and Mohn's sections give therefore a fairly trustworthy representation of 

 the vertical and horizontal distribution of the temperature in the region 

 of the current. But owing to the imperfect method then generally used 

 in océanographie researches the values of specific gravity and salinit}' 

 found were not trustworthy, as might be expected. The description of 

 the vertical and horizontal distribution of the specific gravity in this region, 

 based upon these observations, was therefore more or less misleading. 



Since that time observations of importance have been taken in the 

 region of the Spitsbergen Atlantic Current, especially by Prof. Svante 

 Arrhenius, during the Andrée Expedition in 1896, when a section with 

 six stations (with soundings) was taken westwards from northern Spits- 

 bergen, and b}^ Dr. Axel Bamberg during the Nathorst Expedition of 

 1898, when several stations with deep-sea observations were taken in the 

 region of the Spitsbergen Atlantic Current and its neighbourhood. 



Several series of deep-sea observations were also taken in this region 

 by Admiral Makaroff in 1899 (his temperatures seem to be trustworthy), 

 by Dr. Johan Hjort with the Michael Sars in 1901 and during Prof. 

 G. De Geer's expedition to Spitsbergen in 1908. 



During the expedition of the Duke of Orleans in the Belgica, in 

 1905, a most important section with numerous stations of deep-sea sound- 

 ings was taken in the region north-west of northern Spitsbergen. 



Surface-observations have been taken in the sea west of Spitsbergen 

 by a great many expeditions. 



