456 EEroKT— 1881. 



Oi", in otlicr words, the forces prodncing tlie Kuro-Siwo are ncai'ly two 

 and a half times greater than the forces producing the Gulf Stream. 



To find, from the foregoing ratio of the volumes of the two ocean- 

 streams, that of their heat-producing effect, we must multiply by the 

 excess of temperature above 32° F., or by 



7 7°-48F. - 32°-0r. ^ 45-48 

 79°-38 F. - 32°-0 F. 47-38 



from which we find the ratio of the effect (in melting ice) of the Kuro- 

 Siwo to the Gulf Stream. 



Relative heating effect of 



Kuro-Siwo ^ ,-y.c)o „ 4548 _ o.^^r. 

 Gulf Stream - -- ^ ^j,gg - - o-o 



In oi'der to find the actual relative cSect of the Pacific and Atlantic 

 ocean-currents in affecting climate at any locality we must further take 

 account of the relative areas over which these effects are spread. In the 

 North Pacific, the Ja,nuary temperatures are raised from the 30th parallel 

 of latitude to the G5th parallel ; and in the North Atlantic, from the 

 40th parallel to the 80th parallel. I have calculated the I'elative areas of 

 these surfaces, and find it to be as 44,014 to 24,511. 



Hence the absolute heating effect of the Kuro-Siwo, as compared with 

 the Gulf Stream, will be 



^^ = 2-325 X 24511 ^ ^.295 

 Atlantic 44014 



From these calculations it follows that although the volume of the 

 Kuro-Siwo is 2-42 times greater than that of the Gulf Stream, its heating 

 effect is only l-2t) times greater. 



"We are now in a position to calculate numerically the effect upon 

 climate that would be produced by widening and deepening Behring 

 Strait. I shall suppose it widened and deepened from the Kamtschatka 

 mountain range on the west to the mouth of the Mackenzie river on the 

 east, by the submersion of the Tchukchi land, and of Aliaska and 

 Alaska. 



Parallel of 60° N. January Temperature. 



^ In the North Atlantic, the effect of the Gulf Stream is shown by its 

 raising the temperature of January, from long. 30° W. to long. 10° E., to 

 a mean of -f 32°-8 F., whereas the mean temperature of this parallel at 

 all longitudes is only 4- l°-7. The July temperatures remain unaffected. 



If we now suppose the Kuro-Siwo admitted through the widened 

 Behring Strait to produce a similar effect in the proportion of 129 to 

 100, we obtain the following results : — 



The present mean January temperatures at Behring Strait are as 

 follows at 60° N. :— 



Long. 170° E + 12° F. 



180' E - 26° 



„ 170° W - 24° 



„ 160° \V - 22° 



„ 150° W - 23° 



„ 140° W - 24° 



„ 130° W - 26° 



l\rean . . - 19°-00 



D 



