f 



tho submerged ridgos forming the passes bctv/eon the islands, while the 

 plains approaching these mo'Jntains now covored by the stiellca v/ators form 

 the Bering Sea. It boars out the theory that an ice sheet from the Arctic 

 region once covered this area and discharged itself into the Pacific Ocean 

 and that the basins of the Bering Sea, Beriiig Strait and the iirctic Ocean 

 were simply a portion of the bed of the ice sheet v/hich was erroded to a 

 moderate depth beneath the level of the sea end over which the waters wore 

 gradually extended as the ice shoot was mthdrawn and separated the two 

 continents, 



ALEUTIAIxT ISLANDS - VJSATIER. 



As a result of their location, winds from practically every direction 

 are near saturation, This applies especially to those bot?/ecn southeast 

 and southwest v/hich have blown over the North Pacific Ocean, absorbing 

 Ti'at.^r from the Japanese current, this as a result of the higher water 

 temperatures. South winds are usually present when the lows travel across 

 the islands. Clear weather is usually present when the Polar Higlis sweep 

 southward tOY/ard the Aleutian Islands with a northwest to north vdnds, 

 which winds contain air of low huinidity far below saturation, being mostly 

 from over SibC-ia and are thus dry. Most of the fall .and winter storms 

 of the north Pacific originate in the Aleutian Islands. 



The T/ee.thor in the Island.s is usually misty with frequent blows but 

 during the winter season and in the late spring northwest winds are en- 

 countered with Gonsoquont clear weather. The summer winds are usually 

 southeast to southv/cst v/ith en occrLsional northeaster. They are not very 

 severe and of short duration but the winter gales are long and severe. The 

 temperatures of the islands are not very extreiae because of the fact that 

 they lie between the warm Japanese current and the cold Bering Sea waters. 

 They can be considered mild and stormy in winter and cool and damp in the 

 sumracr months. No freezing temperatures occur during the summer months, 

 the middle of May and first of Octobor being the limiting periods. The 

 procipitatioil averages about 70 inches with the greatest fall in the autumn 

 and winter and the least in summor. Precipitation occurs on c:.bout 200 days 

 a year, the most during Octobor. The Kuro Suvo or Japanese current, breaks 

 on the western end of the Aleutian chain, naif flows eastward south of the 

 Island and carries with it the warm moist atmosphere which is cor.deiised on. 

 the snow peaks and sinks downward in the fine and delicious mist that gives -.'^ 

 the grass its vivid, brilliant,; perpetual, ^green. ' The other h^lf passes 

 northward into Bering Sea, 



EBBING SSUL . 



The most outstanding feature about the weather in Boring Sea is its 

 groat uncertainty. Like the Aleutian Islands good weather is rare and the 

 winds cannot bo depended upon to remain long in one quarter. The late spring 

 and summer are mild and very foggy, T/ith comparatively few strong winds and 

 considerable rain. After Scptcriibor 1, gales become frequent but not so 

 heavy, fogs gradually lessen, and to¥/ard the latter part of the month snow 

 often accompanies the storms. During the fall and winter, gales arc frequent, 

 violent, and from almost any quarter. 



Those gales' are often accompanired by very low barometers. Though 

 sometimes very severe, they are usually not so strong as would be expected 



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