NO. 4 TEMPERATURE VARIATION'S IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC 3I 



will be cooled, or the contrary, and thus the reaction will be called 

 forth. 



In a later work, Meinardus treats of what he calls " Periodic 

 variations of the ice drift near Iceland '' (1906, see also 1908).^ 



The principal results at which Meinardus has arrived in these 

 investigations are as follows : From a more vigorous Atlantic cir- 

 culation, that is, a greater air pressure difference between Iceland 

 and Europe in August to February, there follows : 



1. Higher water temperatures on the European coast from 

 November to April. 



2. Higher air temperatures in middle Europe from February to 

 April. 



3. A greater quantity of ice near Newfoundland in the spring. 



4. A diminution of ice near Iceland in the spring in comparison 

 with preceding and following years." • 



5. Good wheat and rye harvests in the west of Europe and in 

 north Germany. 



Attending weak Atlantic circulation, that is, small air pressure 

 difference between Iceland and Europe in August to February, 

 he finds the opposite conditions. 



Meinardus thinks it improbable that the variations of the water- 

 masses of the Labrador current have particular influence upon 

 the temperature of the upper water layers of the Atlantic Ocean, 

 since the cold and therefore heavier water of this current to the 

 east and south of Newfoundland, must pass underneath the warmer 

 though more salty water of the Gulf Stream. " Important mix- 

 ture of the heterogeneous waters will perhaps take place in the 

 lower layers of the Gulf Stream, but scarcely in its upper ones." 

 On the other hand he believes that the icebergs produce a strong 

 cooling action upon the upper water surface of the Gulf Stream, 

 which occasionally is noticeable even on the west coast of Europe. 

 As we shall see. this point of view is opposite to that of Schott. 

 Schott was of the opinion that the temperature variations in the 



^ Grossmann (1908) gives a summary of the results of Meinardus and other 

 earlier authors. 



" This is relating, however, to the non-periodic variations of the single years 

 in relation to neighboring years. For longer continuing periods of variation 

 he finds (1906) on the other hand that the long periods of years of plentiful 

 ice near Iceland coincide with relatively low air pressure upon Iceland and 

 increased Atlantic circulation, while the periods of less ice on the other hand 

 correspond with high air pressure over Iceland and weakened Atlantic cir- 

 culation. 



