34 



Large-Scale Features 



some extent, to trace the origin of various kinds of water in the Stream. 

 It would be premature to explore this subject further at this point of the 

 book ; it is therefore deferred until after the nature of the Stream itself 

 has been discussed in greater detail. A recent section made by Worthing- 

 ton from Nova Scotia to South America along approximately 64° W. 

 longitude, sketched in fig. 9, illustrates how narrow the current of the Gulf 

 Stream is compared to the EquatoriaV and Caribbean currents that feed it.^ 



40°N 



30°N 



20°N 



Fig. 9. Vertical section along approximately 64° W. longitude, extending 

 from Nova Scotia, on the left, through Bermuda and then through Mona 

 Passage in the West Indies, and through the Caribbean to the coast of South 

 America. Drawn from deep stations made by Worthington on the Atlantis 

 and Caryn in 1954. This sketch shows particularly well the contrast between 

 the sharp Gulf Stream, in the northern half of the section, and the broad North 

 Equatorial Current in the southern half. Mr Worthington very kindly let me 

 use some of his observations to construct this figure in advance of his publi- 

 cation of the full details and final interpretation of his work. In deference to his 

 privilege of prior publication this figure is only a sketch. It is not definitive. 



The density field of the Atlantic. — Because the three-dimensional density 

 field is fundamental in describing the geostrophic currents of the ocean, 

 and will later be ideaHzed in theoretical models, and also because equal 

 (Tf surfaces are preferred directions for mixing and movement of water 

 masses, it is worth while to reproduce here the charts of the depths of 

 various cr^ surfaces drawn by Montgomery and Pollak (1942) from the 

 Meteor data. These are given in figs. 10-15. 



^ In deference to Mr Worthington's privilege of first publication of the data for this 

 new section which he has obtained, I present in fig. 9 only a rough schematic sketch of 

 the section. 



