Winter Quarter Lightship 



Monthly mean surface temperatures exhibited no significant 

 departure from the mean for the periods 1879 -99 and 1925 -UO (Burapus, 

 1957) although the annual mean for 1956 (56.3°F) was higher than the 

 period of record annual means (1879 -99 j 55.U°Fj 1925 -kO, 55.9°F). 



Minimum temperatures throughout the water column occurred 

 during the latter part of January and first-third of Febiniary at ap- 

 proximately Uo°F. The thermocline ccmmenced development in April. 

 Maximxtm temperatures at the surface (76°F) were reached during the 

 last third of August, Maximum temperatures may have been missed at 

 the bottom during September. By the first-third of October the autumn 

 overturn had commenced whereupon the temperature declined at a regular 

 rate throughout the water column. The year ended with the temperatures 

 about 7°F warmer than at the end of 1955. The intrusion of off-shore 

 water during mid-July chilled the whole column of water several degrees. 

 This is apparent in the temperature time profile^ as it was also at 

 Five Fathom Lightship. 



Surface salinities remained near 32.5°/oo during the first 

 2 2/3 months, dropped to 31° /oo in early April, recovered to 32°/oo 

 during May, gradually declined to 31°/oo in August and slowly recovered to 

 32,5°/oo at year end. Bottom salinities tended to remain fairly close to 

 the surface salinities during the first quarter of the year, became higher 

 by 1 to l|- parts per thousand ivhile the thermocline was developed then 

 returned to only slightly higher than surface values during the last quar- 

 ter of the year. 



83 



