OCEANOGRAPHIC OBSERVATIONS, 1957 
EAST COAST OF THE UNITED STATES 
INTRODUCTION 
Through the cooperation of the U. S. 
Coast Guard, the Woods Hole Oceanographic 
Institution established in late 1955 a 
series of oceanographic observation posts 
at a number of lightship stations along 
the East Coast. Each lightship was 
furnished with a kit of oceanographic 
equipment and was requested to make the 
following observations: 
Daily bathythermograph lowering. 
Daily surface water temperature reading 
and surface water sample. 
Daily record of air temperature, weather, 
wind and clouds. 
Weekly bottom water sample. 
These data have been forwarded on a 
monthly basis to Woods Hole where they have 
been processed. The bathythermograms have 
been read at several levels and tabulated 
in the accompanying tables. The surface 
water temperatures were used as a check on 
the bathythermograph. The water samples 
were titrated for salinity and tabulated. 
The records of air temperature, weather, 
wind and clouds were used in studying the 
other data, but are not presented here as 
they are the same as those published in 
the daily weather maps issued by the U. S. 
Weather Bureau. In addition to tabulating 
these data, mean temperatures for each 
level for 3 equal time periods per month 
have been determined and plotted as time 
profiles for the year for each station. 
The one-third monthly mean surface temper- 
atures have also been plotted in comparison 
with the monthly mean surface temperature 
for the period of record of each station. 
The surface salinity one-third monthly means 
have been appended to the profiles, to- 
gether with the weekly bottom salinity 
values. 
Where data were incomplete, means 
were calculated only in those cases where 
temperature conditions appeared to be 
static; where conditions were changing, 
means were not derived from incomplete 
records. 
The monthly mean surface water temper- 
atures for the year 1957 for all stations 
are listed in table 1, for comparison with 
previous records (Bumpus 1957s and b.) 
Certain independent observers have 
kindly forwarded to us daily water temper- 
ature readings at shore stations. These 
data are also tabulated herein and the one- 
third monthly mean depicting the annual 
progression of surface water temperatures 
are presented. 
COMMENTARY 
The 1957 cycle of temperature, both 
surface and bottom, along the coast is 
shown in figure 1. Contours were drawn 
from the 10-day mean values. 
Surface temperature - 
At Portland Lightship minimen temper- 
atures were higher and earlier than in 1956; 
at Boston Lightship earlier and lower by 
less than 1°F. The observations at Georges 
Shoals did not begin until late April of 
1956, so comparison of minima is not possible. 
The 1957 winter temperature there never fell 
below 40°F. Between Nantucket and Diamond 
Shoals Lightships, minimum surface readings 
occurred in February, on the average of a 
month earlier than in 1956, and readings 
were not as low. The previous year, water 
of less than 40°F was found as far south as 
the Chesapeake station, whereas in 1957 it 
penetrated only so far as Barnegat Light- 
ship. The complicated structure at Diamond 
Shoals makes comparison of minimum temper- 
atures misleading, but in general the first 
three months of 1957 were appreciably 
warmer than was the same period of 1956. 
At Frying Pan Shoals and at Savannah the 
1957 minima were higher by 5.2°F and 2.9°F 
respectively. Thus, the 1957 winter was of 
shorter duration than the 1956 winter, end 
vernal warming began earlier. At most 
stations warming continued in advance of both 
the mean and the 1956 record throughout the 
spring. 
