Towards the mouth of the Vest-fjord and on the outer banks, 

 no such sharp distinction will be found between a colder layer and 

 a warmer one as was the case in the Ofoten-fjord, and has been 

 proved several times to exist in the Vest-fjord, especially in 

 East Lofoten. I have at wintertime on the outer Lofoten banks 

 found that the water layers are very homogeneous. Most clearly 

 this appeared at the measurements on the outside of Vesteraalen 

 at the beginning of February 1897. Thus at one place, situated 

 in lat. 6850' N., long. 1436'.5 E., the temperature was found 

 (8 Feb. 97) to be about 4 C. from surface to bottom (110 m.), 

 and saltness to be b3.80 % (no. 472). Likewise was measured 

 (10 Feb.) in lat. 6851'.25, long. 143l' E., a temperature of 3.9 

 4.35 C., respectively at surface and bottom (170 m.); further it 

 will be seen that this layer had a saltness of 33.92 % , from bot- 

 tom to a few metres below surface (no. 473). To such a thorough 

 mixture scarcely any parallel will be found in any of the fjordst 

 By observations at the outer and inner sides of Heist, it also 

 appeared that a rather perfect mixture was completed. Thus I 

 found (28 April 1897) at 4V3 miles NW. of Rost a temperature 

 of 4.6 C. from surface to 100 m., and at the bottom (140 m.) 

 5 C., saltness varying between 34.11 34.67 % , respectively at 

 surface and bottom (no. 538). On May 1st the same year, 4.5 

 was measured in 100 m., the saltness being throughout the 

 whole layer 34.18 % . At 150 m. a temperature of 4. 7 was 

 observed, saltness 34.30 (no. 539). That the above figures were 

 nothing particular for the year 1897, is shown by measurements 

 on the outer banks in the previous year. In one place (lat. 67 

 47'. 5, long. il42' E.) on April 4the rise of the temperature, in from 

 150 m., was 5 6.55, and the increase in saltness 34.38 35.09 

 (no. 193). At the latter place the ocean water was thus found at 

 a depth of 150 m., but the overlying water layer presented gradual 

 transitions to the 35 pro mille water. When the sections off Vigten 

 and Kristiansund are considered, a similar condition will be seen 

 to exist there. Generally speaking, it is characteristic of the winter 

 condition on the Norwegian coast banks that the 33 pro mille water 

 gradually mixes with that of 34, and the latter again with scarcely 

 noticeable intervals mixes with that of 35. The isohalines for the 

 three grades of saltness are gradually raised in proportion to the 

 distance from the coast line, reaching the surface in the order of 

 their numbers. 



From my measurements of 1896 97 will be seen that the 

 water that in winter has the greatest vertical extent on the inner 

 fishing banks of Lofoten, has a saltness of between 33 and 34 

 pro mille. The temperature of this layer varies between and 

 5 C. It will as a rule be found that when temperature has be- 

 come 5, the 34 pro mille are also exceeded. In my opinion, this 

 water (33 34 %o) on large stretches of the inner banks usually 

 reaches the bottom. It rests upon a layer of 34 35 %o with 

 temperature of 5 7 C. Water of oceanic saltness (35 % or 

 more) does not in winter as a rule reach up upon the fishing banks 

 in Lofoten, but is depressed to the deep trough of the fjord. No. 

 513 shows at 270 m. temp. 5.4, saltness 34.96 %o, and, as men- 

 tioned above, in the Ofoten-fjord I measured (Feb. 24th 1897) 

 at 300 m. temp. 6.l C., saltness 35.02 % . During my tem- 

 perature measurements in East Lofoten my attention was rather 



soon drawn to a sharp limit that often appeared between a colder 

 layer and a warmer one. My measurements on Feb. 24th and 

 25th 1897 in the Ofoten-fjord (nos. 489, 490) show that the 

 limit there is still more prominent. No. 489 shows a great homo- 

 geneity in the layer of 100 m., and at the next station (nearer 

 to where the Ofoten-fjord opens into the Vest-fjord) the tempe- 

 rature variation in 120 m. is only 2.0 2.8 C., and the varia- 

 tion in saltness 33.5433.73 % - At 150 m., however, 6.0 C. 

 and 34.96 %o are found. There is little reason to believe that 

 the Ofoten-fjord differs from the other fjords that open out into 

 the Vest-fjord; in other words these fjords contain a storage of 

 cold water sufficient to make itself perceptible, especially in the East 

 Lofoten fishing sea. It is also in East Lofoten that the measure- 

 ments have shown the lowest temperatures in the surface layers. 

 According to my experience, the surface temperature rises on the 

 banks in a westerly direction, which also appears from the measu- 

 rements of captain GADE in 1891 92. If to this we add the 

 circumstance that in West Lofoten the boundary between the colder 

 layer and the warmer one is more indistinct, these phenomena must 

 be explained as the result of a more advanced process of mixture, 

 which is most complete in the surface layers of the outer banks. 

 It might then seem likely that the winds are of great importance 

 as to the regulating of temperature on the Lofoten banks, and the 

 influence of the winds might plainly be expressed thus: prevailing 

 land winds drive the cold fjord water out upon the inner banks, 

 while sea winds press the warmer water of the outer banks inwards 

 towards Lofoten. The measurements of Mr. GADE in 1892 seem 

 to me to give a characteristic instance of the inward movement of 

 the outer bank-water. In the most westerly part of Lofoten Mr. 

 GADE measured in January 5 at the surface in several places, and, 

 supporting myself on my own observations, I suppose that the 

 surface saltness has been above 34 pro mille. Already at a depth 

 of 110 140 m. a temperature was reached in certain places of 

 7 C., to which has evidently corresponded water of oceanic salt- 

 ness. This must be said to be exceptional, and it would be of 

 great interest to know the working causes. Also in East Lofoten 

 the 7 degrees water had in A 892 a high level. Thus it may be 

 noticed that on the edge south of Skraaven (GADE'S station III) 

 7 was measured at a depht of 110 140 m. in the course of Feb. 

 and beginning of March. In March a small lowering occurred, so 

 the bottom layer on the 28th had the temperature of 6.7, to which, 

 according to my observations, a saltness between 34.5 35.0 %o 

 was to correspond. Mr. GADE, in his report to the government, 

 mentions southerly winds causing currents to which certain temper- 

 ature changes were attributed. It is however difficult to decide 

 whether these southerly winds alone suffice to explain the excep- 

 tional condition of temperature in Lofoten during the winter of 189 2. 

 Mr. MOHN says (1. c., p. 96) that in winter the surface tempera- 

 ture is lowest near land, and increases further out towards the sea, 

 as well as down towards the deep. At the same place (p. 97) the 

 cause of this is clearly stated: "The temperature of the air at 

 that season (winter) being lower than the temperature of the sea 

 surface, and lower over the land than over the sea, we must ob- 

 viously seek in the cold air over the land for the cause of so remark- 

 able a distribution of the sea's temperature on the coast during 



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