io 6 HYDROGRAPHY. 



SECTION II. 



In a southerly direction from Home Fjord in Iceland. 

 It will be seen from the curves of temperature appertaining to this section, that a large stratum 

 of water throughout has a nearly constant temperature of 8°, and it appears from the curves of salinity 

 that this stratum of water has a rather high salinity. The temperatures at the bottom are higher at 

 the stations situated to the westward than at the rest of them, specially in comparison with the northern 

 ones, so that this section shows exactly the same qualities as the eastern stations appertaining to 

 section I; here is a thick warm stratum of water resting on a layer at the bottom of low temperature 

 and salinity. The origin of the water must therefore also be supposed to be the same. The layer 

 at the bottom must be influenced by water making its way across the Faroe- 

 Iceland ridge. 



SECTION III. 



From the Westman Islands and southward. 

 Here we find again a stratum with a nearly constant temperature of 8°, but in this section 

 its thickness is smaller than in section II. The curves of temperature and salinity at the two stations 

 64 and 65 are about congruent 



SECTION IV. 



From Cape Reykjanaes and southward. 

 The state of matters is about the same as in section III, but the isohaline 35^25 is here lying 

 a little higher. 



SECTION V. 



From Cape Reykjanaes in a south-westerly direction. 



The isohaline 35*25 is lying still deeper than in section IV. The stratum with a constant 

 temperature has but a very small thickness, but for all that it may be traced. 



If we now compare these different sections that have been laid down south of Iceland, the 

 fact that specially attracts our attention is that the different stations resemble one another in a high 

 degree. In a hydrographical point of view, the whole of this part of the Atlantic offers 

 a specially high degree of homogeneousness, so that the differences we have found must 

 be regarded as mere trifles in comparison with this peculiar homogeneousness. It will be seen that 

 the sections II, III, IV, V have this in common, that isotherms and isohalines in the depth are rising 

 towards the coast of Iceland, nearly following the ascent of the bottom towards the main land. This 

 cannot be the direct effect of the water from the rivers, for the influence of this latter does not mani- 

 fest itself in the surface water at any great distance from the shore, it cannot at all for inst. be 

 traced at station 56. At a depth of 40 fathoms (75 metres), the salinity remains unaltered nearly close 

 in to the coast, so that at the aforesaid depth, the influence of the water from the rivers cannot be 

 traced directly. The stations 62 and 71 show for the surface respectively the salinities 3476 and 34"i2; 

 but at a depth of 40 fathoms (75 metres), we meet already again with the normal value applying to 

 the Atlantic. 



