OCEAN CURRENTS 171 



far north. Another indication of the northerly drift of thèse 

 currents is found in the distribution of icebergs. This is shown 

 on the chart. 



There is also a cold current branching off from the Cape 

 Horn Current south of the Fallvland Islands, and running- 

 northwards to the east of the islands. This joins the main 

 Falkland Current, which runs up the whole coast of Uruguay 

 and South Brazil to Rio Janeiro and Cape Frio. In this current 

 the cold waters extend to considérable depths. A deep-sea 

 sounding of the Challenger expédition in 42° 32' S. Lat. and 

 56° 29' W. Long, gives a température of 2° at 274 mètres; in 

 the neighbouring Brazil current in 41° 51' S. Lat. and 54° 48' 

 W. Long, the 2° isotherm is found at 2,960 mètres. 



The Falkland Current is bottle-green ; the Brazil Current, 

 on the other hand, has the deep blue, high salinity water of the 

 tropics. The cold green water is rich in fîsh life. 



(2) The South Atlantic Coiinecting Current is a continua- 

 tion of the easterly deflected Brazil Current, as well as the 

 north-easterly Cape Horn Current. Rennell describes this 

 current as Connecting in the high southern latitudes of the 

 Indian and Pacific Océans currents which run in the direction 

 of the earth's rotation from west to east. 



The average anniial barometric pressure gives gradients to 

 the south in 35° S. Lat. In 40° S. Lat. the prevailing wind 

 drives the water east or east-south-east ; in 55° south to the east 

 by south. A drift to the east-north-east results. 



The strength of the Connecting current varies considerably 

 with the wind. According to the British charts, the velocity is 

 between 6 and 33 miles per day. The Challenger found 

 between Tristan da Cunha and the Cape of Good Hope 

 a direction north 27° east, and a velocity of i5'8 sea-miles 

 per day. 



(3) The Benguela Current is the South Atlantic counterpart 

 of the Canaries Current. From the South Atlantic Connecting 

 Current a branch is split off to the left to the South African 

 coast, going to the north behind the south-east trade drift. 



