EXPLORATIONS, WESTERN ATLANTIC, STEAMER BACHE, 1914. 41 



tioiis showing that seasonal wanning had progressed down to about 

 100 meters at that season. 



The fact that cold water was banked up against Florida in both 

 years is evidence that the general distribution of temperature encoun- 

 tered by the Bache is the normal condition for the Straits ; but there 



Temperature, Centigrade 

 5° 6 7 8 9 10° n 12 13 14 15° 16 17 18 19 20° 21 22 23 24 25°26 27 28 



Meter 

 100 

 200 

 300 

 400 

 500 

 600 

 700 



Fig. 43.— Temperature sections in the middle of the Straits between Gun Cay and Cape Florida, Bache 

 (station 10203), , and by the Blake, May 30, 1878, 



are evidently considerable variations from year to year in the abso- 

 lute temperature in the middepths, which probably depend on varia- 

 tions in the deep-water currents of the Straits. 



It is, of course, common knowledge that a very strong surface cur- 

 rent flows out of the GuH of Mexico via the Straits of Florida,'* but 



Fig. 44.— Temperature sections 40 miles northeast of Habana, March, 1914, Boxihe (station 10201), 



and about 95 miles northwest of Habana, May 17, 1876 (Blake) 



9 



information as to the movements of the water in the deeper parts of 

 the Straits is scanty. Mitchell (1869), it is true, beheved that he 

 foimd both velocity and direction constant down to 600 fathoms 

 off the Cuban coast, and his conclusion was accepted by Alexander 



a For an excellent summary of the history of the Gulf Stream, see Kriimmel (1911), p. 574. 



