4 



Chapter 



THE MEANING OF THE ATLANTIC 



I 



-T WOULD be almost impossible to write of the main physical 

 features of the Atlantic — its structure and its behavior — without at 

 least suggesting that these features are important to us as individuals 

 and as nations. Some of the physical scientists, however, have 

 achieved such a high point of abstraction that the human value of 

 their work has all but been ignored. Here we claim no such abstract 

 skill or purpose. Even though in the recent chapters we wished 

 mainly to present a picture of the physical ocean, we have not tried 

 to disguise the fact of its human importance. It would, indeed, be sur- 

 prising if many readers had not anticipated our general point of 

 view regarding the meaning of this ocean : the Atlantic is the world's 

 most important ocean; it is the central fact in our historic past and 

 in our hopes for the future. 



In the present chapter we shall try to summarize in some detail 

 what physical features of the Atlantic are important to human beings 

 and why they have this significance. Even the readers who already 

 accept a general belief in the importance of the Atlantic may find it 

 interesting to check the details of this belief and perhaps to add points 

 to our necessarily abbreviated analysis. Other readers may be sur- 

 prised or in doubt. They may well say: "All right! If the Atlantic has 

 this importance why haven't we heard more about it? Why isn't it 

 plain in maps and in writing.''" 



These questions deserve an answer. We shall proceed then in this 



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