TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY 



15 



values were tested by the construction of the curves 

 showing the relation of salinity to temperature, and 

 defective measurements were recognized in this way 

 and discarded; for the intermediate depths in which 

 only temperature data were available, tiepoints 

 were found for the construction of the salinity 

 vertical curves. Faulty determinations were ex- 

 cluded through this procedure and comparability 

 with temperature made sure. But the uncertainties 

 of interpolation which are due to the many times 

 too great vertical intervals between observations 

 could not be eliminated, and to such sources of 

 error are attributable many irregularities in the 

 isohalines and isopycnics. 



Table 39 gives the statistical summary of the 

 number of salinity series which constitute the 

 source material for the horizontal charts of salinity 

 and density in the four layers. In the uppermost 

 layer (200-1000 m.) lie the impressive number of 

 3047 stations with serial salinities, which are only 

 slightly less than the corresponding number of 

 serial temperatures. The great progress which is 

 shown in the investigation of the salinity of the 

 deeper layers since 1921 is obvious when one calls 

 to mind that W. Brennecke' could base his first 

 incomplete attempt to construct charts of the 

 salinity distribution for six deep horizons in 200- 

 1000 m., on only about 100-150 stations, and in 

 some parts of the ocean, because of the absence of 

 observations, had to leave out entirely the drawing 

 of isohalines. Highly noteworthy is the number of 

 serial salinities, 1226, in the next layer (1250- 

 2000 m.). Only 622 stations have supplied material 

 for the layer 2500-4000 m. When one considers 

 the corresponding station chart, he recognizes that 

 up to now, work has been done in a systematic way 

 only by the Meteor, 238 series, in its two regions 



because we must take into account conclusions based on the 

 usage for many years of the determined salinity values. It 

 may be recommended, however, that in the future for these 

 determinations the symbol Sqi be used. 



' Deutsche Seewarte, Archiv., 1921, p. 165 and plates 

 13 and 14. 



of work in the south and north Atlantic; and 

 by the Discovery, 154 series, in the South Antilles 

 Sea; while the Atlantis has worked along profiles 

 the important number of 100 series. For the two 

 lowest horizons (4600 and 5000 m.) the Meteor 

 has contributed 72 series, that is two thirds of the 

 total material. The charts show with clearness 

 the gaps in the thermo-haline investigation of the 

 Atlantic Ocean: North of 15° north and also in the 

 South Polar Sea there is a series of 5°-fields from 

 which there are no serial measurements of tempera- 

 ture and salinity at depths of 2500 meters and more ; 

 and as regards its greatest depths, the water of the 

 north Atlantic Ocean north of 20° is almost un- 

 explored. 



The results from the working up of all available 

 source material are presented on 45 charts'" of 

 which 15 are devoted to temperature, salinity, and 

 density. 



The foregoing account of the horizontal distribu- 

 tion of temperature, salinity, and density at standard 

 depths in the Atlantic Ocean by Professor Wiist 

 should be supplemented by mention of "A Study 

 of the circulation of the Western North Atlantic," 

 by C. O'D. Iselin.'' This memoir makes important 

 additions to knowledge of the oceanography of the 

 part of the Atlantic with which it deals. The 

 bibliography accompanying it contains references 

 to several papers published subsequent to the com- 

 pletion of Wiist 's manuscript. 



Another paper of importance in this connection 

 is one by C. G. Rossby entitled "Dynamics of steady 

 ocean currents in the light of experimental fluids 

 mechanics."'- This publication deals rather with a 

 possible interpretation than with the presentation 

 of data. 



'" Atlas to this volume. 



" Papers in Physical Oceanography and Meteorology, 

 published by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology 

 and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, vol. 4, 

 No. 4, pp. 101, August, 1936. 



'- Pap. in Phys. Oceanog., Mass. Inst. Technology and 

 Woods Hole Oceanogr. Institution, vol. 5, no. 1, pp. 43, 1936. 



ABREVI- 



ATION 



Ab 



Lists of Sources of Data 



Abbremations of the Ships' Names and Indications of the Sources 



SHIP 



"Acadia' 



"Albatross" 



TEAB OF OBSERVATION SOURCE AND REMARKS 



1915 P. Bjerkan, Results of the hydrographical observations 



made by Dr. J. Hjort in the Canadian Atlantic waters. 

 Ottawa 1919. 



1884-85 C. H. Townsend, U. S. Fish Coram. Report for 1900, Wash- 

 ington 1910. 



1919-20 Report U. S. Comm. of Fisheries for 1920. App. Ill, Wash- 

 ington 1921. 



