612 CYCLES OF ORGANIC AND INORGANIC SUBSTANCES 



from the cun-es of best fit ha\'e been reduced by as much as ten 

 times. 



Curves have been fitted by the method of least squares to both 

 oxygen and salinity data to break down the deep water into a 

 series of separate water masses. Although the two approaches are 

 broadly concordant, they are no longer independent since each 

 has been used to refine the inferences drawn from the other. 



The water colder than theta 2.18°, lying in an enclosed basin, 

 is in adiabatically neutral equilibrium, (sigma-theta = 27.903). 

 The scatter of the oxygen analyses, confirmed by replication, is 

 quite large but their discussion is better deferred. 



The curves for both theta/S and theta/Oo from about 2.18° to 

 2.40° (sigma-theta = 27.903) are reasonably coherent and show a 

 layer in neutral equilibrium and simple mixing. 



Around 2.50° curve fitting of the oxygen data is impossible while 

 the salinity and temperature suggest a marked decrease in density. 

 One has the impression of a zone of conflict between thin strata 

 of contesting waters. 



Between 2.64° and 2.92° (sigma-theta = 27.892) the observa- 

 tions are once more coherent and suggest another layer in adia- 

 batic neutral equilibrium. 



Around 3.0° there may be another zone of conflict, a large scatter 

 in oxygen content and a sudden jump in density. 



Between 3.2° and 3.5° observations are scanty but they are 

 enough to suggest an independent stratum of water in neutral 

 equilibrium (sigma-theta = 27.862) and in which the oxygen 

 content increases rapidly with temperature. 



Between 3.5° and 4.0° the region of maximum oxygen content 

 occurs; it consists undoubtedly of water of northern origin with a 

 component from the Norwegian Sea. Although the scatter of the 

 oxygen observations is large and defies curve fitting, the few 

 observations of salinity in March and September are fitted by yet 

 another curve lying along an isopycnal, sigma-theta = 27.831. 



This highly heterogeneous water around a potential tempera- 

 ture of 3.8° and a depth of 1900 m may be scheduled for intensive 

 study. By using the analogy of the complex geology of the Isle 

 of Anglesey or Mona, such a complex, highly laminated water 

 mass may be called a "Complex" and to distinguish this one 



