TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY — WATERS OF TAIWAN 823 



The station of Ngulerbei is situated at the south tip ol the island 

 stretching into the Bashi Channel. The -water temperature is high and 

 the annual range is small, that is 25.5°C. and 6.0°C. respectively. The 

 mean salinity is 33.89 °/oo with a small seasonal variation. 



Kiaoshiung is a station along the southwest coast of the island 

 facing the Taiwan Channel. The yearly mean of water temperature 

 of 25.7 °C. is the highest value among all the stations, and its annual 

 range of 8.0 °C. is also higher than the stations along the east coast. 

 The seasonal variation of salinity is very much pronounced as it 

 reaches its maximum of 33.82 °/oo in December and falls even to 

 24.07 ^/oo in August. The reason is that at the southwest part of the 

 island, it is very dry during the winter time and there are almost no 

 outflows at all. But during the summer time the rainfall is quite 

 heavy. 



Peitao is a small island of the Pescadores located in the middle 

 part of the Taiwan Channel. At that station, the yearly mean water 

 temperature is 23.3 °C., lower than at the southern stations of the 

 main island. The annual range of 8.9°C. is little higher. This district 

 is the most dry region of Taiwan, rainfall is very scarce during all sea- 

 sons. Therefore it sho^\'s a higher monthly salinity and has a mean 

 salinity of 33.82 °/oo- 



HI. Surface Water Temperature and Salinity of the Open Seas 

 As the oceanographical investigations of the surrounding waters 

 of Taiwan were interrupted, from the beginning of World War II, 

 we can only find some records of surface water temperature and salinity 

 observations made before the War. The waiter has made an exami- 

 nation of these data and gives a brief discussion below. 



The surface water temperature of the surrounding waters of Tai- 

 wan is greatly influenced by the Pacific warm current of the Kuroshio 

 and by the China Coastal Current. During the winter time, the tem- 

 perature of the coastal current is much lower than that of the Kuroshio, 

 and very close isotherms are arranged from the coast of Chinese main- 

 land to the southeast. In summer, the water temperature of the coastal 

 current is warmed almost up to the same level as the Kuroshio. There 

 are only a few lines of isotherms which make the distribution very 

 simple. 



In Figure 2, showing the distribution of water temperature in 

 February, we can see the lowest temperature of 10 °C. along the north 

 part of the China coast. It increases gradually southeastward and 

 reaches the maximum temperature of 26 °C. off the southeast coast of 

 the island. At the south entrance of the Taiwan Channel, isotherms 



