From the Admiralty Islands to yapan. 113 



current, after its encounter with the equatorial current between 

 Station 234 and Station 229, continues its course as an under- 

 current through the Sea of Magallanes. The decrease of 

 temperature in the stratum below 100 fathoms, where the two 

 currents, one flowing south, the other north, are in contact, 

 amounts to about 15° C. (27 F.) in less than a hundred fathoms. 

 A portion of the Arctic current passes down between the Pelew 

 Islands and the Philippines, and we trace its presence in the 

 high level of the isotherms of 5 and 2°.5 C. between Station 218 

 and Station 214. 



A comparison of the isotherms between the latter stations 

 with those of the Sea of Celebes, of the Molucca Passage, the 

 Arafura Sea, and the observations made by the " Gazelle " 

 between North-West Australia and Timor, leaves little doubt but 

 that the Arctic current, after sending a branch into the Sea of 

 Celebes, flows as an under-current through the above-described 

 deep channel or "fault" between the plateau of the Indian 

 Archipelago and the Papua -Australian plateau, for along 

 the whole length of this channel we find the isotherms of 

 5 C. and 2°.5 C. at about the same depth, the former in 

 an average depth of 500 fathoms, the latter in an average 

 depth of 900 fathoms. A branch of this current probably flows 

 through the Straits of Manipa, past Amboina, into the Banda 

 Sea, and out of the latter past Timor into the Indian Ocean. 

 The isotherms of the China Sea show that the Arctic current 

 also finds its way into that .basin. Another branch of the Arctic 

 under-current turns eastward, and, in conjunction with the southern 

 branch of the North Pacific Equatorial Current flowing from the 

 Sea of Magallanes into the Sea of Papua, is the probable cause 

 of the sinking of the isotherms of 5 C. and 2°.5 C. between 

 Station 224 and Station 218, or between the Papuan plateau 

 from Humboldt Bay to the Admiralty Islands and the Caroline 

 Islands (Plates 16 and 17, and Curve Fig. 10). 



