﻿304 
  ANNUAL 
  EEPORT 
  SMITHSONIAN 
  INSTITUTION, 
  192 
  9 
  

  

  in 
  September, 
  while 
  variations 
  of 
  as 
  much 
  as 
  4° 
  from 
  week 
  to 
  week 
  

   under 
  the 
  influence 
  of 
  a 
  strong 
  wind 
  were 
  noted. 
  A 
  comparison 
  of 
  

   weekly 
  temperatures 
  v/ith 
  winds 
  brought 
  out 
  clearly 
  immediate 
  and 
  

   persisting 
  effects 
  of 
  the 
  wind 
  as 
  regards 
  both 
  direction 
  and 
  velocity. 
  

  

  From 
  the 
  nature 
  of 
  the 
  agencies 
  concerned, 
  fluctuations 
  from 
  day 
  

   to 
  day 
  in 
  the 
  flow 
  and 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  may 
  be 
  taken 
  

   for 
  granted. 
  Seasonal 
  variations 
  likewise 
  are 
  unquestionable, 
  as 
  are 
  

   smaller 
  fluctuations 
  from 
  year 
  to 
  year. 
  Vilhelm 
  Pettersson 
  studied 
  

   the 
  temperature 
  data 
  derived 
  from 
  ships' 
  logs, 
  covering 
  the 
  Gulf 
  

   Stream 
  up 
  to 
  latitude 
  33° 
  N., 
  for 
  the 
  14-year 
  period 
  1900-1913. 
  He 
  

   found 
  that 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  surface 
  waters 
  varies 
  from 
  year 
  to 
  

   year, 
  generally 
  by 
  less 
  than 
  1° 
  but 
  sometimes 
  by 
  more 
  than 
  a 
  degree.^'* 
  

   Whether 
  these 
  yearly 
  variations 
  are, 
  in 
  large 
  or 
  small 
  part, 
  of 
  a 
  periodic 
  

   nature 
  is 
  at 
  the 
  present 
  time, 
  for 
  lack 
  of 
  sufficient 
  data, 
  an 
  open 
  

   question. 
  

  

  The 
  difficulties 
  involved 
  in 
  securing 
  systematic 
  observations 
  on 
  

   the 
  temperature 
  and 
  flow 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  to 
  determine 
  the 
  nature 
  

   and 
  extent 
  of 
  its 
  fluctuations 
  are 
  obvious. 
  The 
  observations 
  recorded 
  

   in 
  navigators' 
  log 
  books 
  furnish 
  valuable 
  information, 
  but 
  such 
  

   observations 
  are 
  not 
  sufficient 
  of 
  themselves. 
  More 
  hopeful 
  is 
  the 
  

   slowly 
  growing 
  use 
  of 
  sea-water 
  thermographs 
  aboard 
  ships. 
  From 
  

   the 
  records 
  furnished 
  by 
  these 
  instruments 
  definite 
  information 
  

   regarding 
  fluctuations 
  in 
  the 
  temperature 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  waters 
  

   should 
  result. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  light 
  of 
  the 
  preceding 
  considerations 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  whether 
  

   there 
  has 
  been 
  any 
  permanent 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  or 
  in 
  the 
  temper- 
  

   ature 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  since 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  known 
  to 
  civilized 
  man, 
  may 
  

   be 
  answered 
  shortly. 
  Manifestly, 
  without 
  extensive 
  observations 
  

   which 
  would 
  permit 
  comparisons, 
  no 
  categorical 
  answer 
  can 
  be 
  given. 
  

   But 
  it 
  is 
  clear 
  that 
  any 
  decided 
  change 
  in 
  an 
  ocean 
  current 
  of 
  the 
  

   magnitude 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  can 
  come 
  only 
  as 
  the 
  result 
  pf 
  extensive 
  

   changes 
  in 
  such 
  features 
  as 
  the 
  bottom 
  of 
  the 
  ocean, 
  the 
  configuration 
  

   of 
  the 
  coast 
  line, 
  or 
  the 
  prevailing 
  winds. 
  Since 
  no 
  such 
  extensive 
  

   changes 
  appear 
  to 
  have 
  taken 
  place, 
  it 
  is 
  highly 
  improbable 
  that 
  any 
  

   decided 
  change 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream 
  has 
  occurred 
  since 
  

   it 
  has 
  become 
  known. 
  

  

  CLIMATIC 
  EFFECTS 
  

  

  A 
  host 
  of 
  problems 
  he 
  covered 
  by 
  the 
  question 
  of 
  the 
  climatic 
  

   effects 
  of 
  the 
  Gulf 
  Stream. 
  That 
  its 
  warm 
  waters 
  have 
  an 
  ameliorat- 
  

   ing 
  effect 
  on 
  the 
  lands 
  near 
  which 
  they 
  flow 
  is 
  a 
  strongly 
  held 
  opinion; 
  

  

  " 
  V. 
  I. 
  Pettersson: 
  Etude 
  de 
  la 
  statistique 
  hydrographique 
  du 
  Bulletin 
  Atlantique 
  du 
  Conseil 
  Inter- 
  

   national 
  pour 
  I'Exploration 
  de 
  la 
  Mer, 
  Svenska 
  Hydrogr.-Blol. 
  Komm. 
  Skrifter, 
  Hydrografi 
  I 
  (N. 
  S.), 
  

   p. 
  4, 
  1926. 
  

  

  