Temperature of the Sea and the Air 123 



sun shines upon both alike, but the water absorbs a larger 

 proportion of the heat of its rays than the air does; and 

 finally, a portion of this excess is removed from the water by 

 the simple contact of the air at its surface. The nett effect of 

 causes is to produce a permanent excess of temperature of 

 the surface water of the sea over that of the air above it, provided 

 that the air is not completely saturated with moisture. 



From what 1 have seen and experienced in the regions 



ed by the south-west monsoon in the east, I cannot doubt 



that there are often cases where the most carefully exposed wet- 



bulb and dry-bulb thermometers would show identical readings, 



the atmosphere is completely saturated with vapour of 



r. Thus it is probable that the temperature of the air 



would not be inferior to that of the water. Further, when, 



on the eastern coasts of Asia, the south-west monsoon blows 



out of the China Sea and penetrates far into the North Pacific, 



he coasts of Japan it attains a latitude of naturally lower 



temperature than that from which it proceeded, so that much 



of the water with which it was laden, and which is held diffused 



through it as a true gas, is condensed and remains suspended 



in it, producing a visible haze, which obscures the horizon 



and mni-ti-ns all solid objects exposed to it. Here the 



conditions are reversed, and instead of the air losing heat 



to e\ the water, it receives the heat liberated by the 



condensation of the steam removed from waters of lower 



ides. Such conditions are, however, certainly local, and 



n be little doubt that, as a rule, the temperature of 



r of the sea is hi.uher than that of the air. 



The tern] "f tin- air depends on that of the wat< r which 



Is to warm it. and >u the degree of its o\\n dryneM, by 



virtue of \vhi< h the water has a tendency to evaporate into it 



and, by - heat from it f>r this purpose, to cool it. 



nbviou- that local circumstances such as um-nN 



rences b< and 



M-X .ue nnt here under 



1 See Contents, p. N 



