may become separated. This separation can traji 

 gas in the stem and cause tlie instiiinient to 

 malfunction. NAVOCEANO oceanographers 

 always store and transport thermometers in the 

 specially constructed carrying cases shown in 

 figure D-2. These cases are padded with shock 

 absorbent material and have compartments for 

 4S to 60 thermometers. Tiiermometcrs are 

 placed in the carrying case with the pigtail-end 

 down; however, if air temperatures of -10° C. 

 (14° F.) or lower are expected to be encoun- 

 tered, the thermometers should be reversed; 

 otherwise, the auxiliary thermometer may be 

 damaged. Always transport the carrying case 

 in an ui^right position. While aboard ship, 

 store extra thermometers in the case and pro- 

 tect from excessive vibration and shock. In the 

 laboratory ashore and while at sea, thermom- 

 eters should be reversed once each 24 hours to 

 insure satisfactory functioning of the 

 instrument. 



D-8 The Nansen Bottle.— The Nansen bottle 

 is a metal reversing water sampler with a 1.25- 

 liter capacity (fig. D-3). This bottle is used to 



obtain an uncontaminated water sample and to 

 reverse the attaclied deep sea thennometers at 

 any desired depth. The bottle is fitted at both 

 ends with tapered plug valves; the valves are 

 joined with a connecting rod. The lower end of 

 the bottle is securely attached to the oceano- 

 graphic wire with a clamp, and the upper end 

 is hooked to the wire by a tripping mechanism. 

 The device is lowered with the tapered plug 

 valves in an open position, thus flushing itself 

 during lowering. 



Wlien a series of Nansen bottles on a wire has 

 been lowered to a predetermined depth (a cast) , 

 a brass weight (messenger) is attached to the 

 wire and dropped. The messenger triggers the 

 tripping mechanism to disconnect the top of the 

 bottle from the wire; the bottle then reverses, 

 making a 180° arc with the wire (fig. D^). The 

 valves close when reversal occurs, entrapping a 

 water sample, and a second messenger is released 

 which in tuni effects the reversal of the next 

 deejjer bottle, and so on until all bottles on the 

 cast ha"e reversed. 



Each Nansen bottle is fitted with a detachable 

 deep sea reversing thennometer frame (fig. 



Ktic^i Tf - 







Figure D-2. Special carrying cases for storing and transporting thermometers. 



D-3 



