Mat 15, 1914] 



SCIENCE 



727 



yet this current plays such a prominent part 

 in the water circulation of the Atlantic. 

 Some observations are already being made in 

 connection with the shipping interests. 



(e) In reference to the Coastal Sea of North 

 America, discussed under caption (e), it is 

 pointed out that hydrographic observations 

 should be obtained over the area extending 

 600 miles south 30° east of St. Johns, New- 

 foundland, returning directly to the Flemish 

 Cape and thence to St. Johns. Also at other 

 points on the " Grand Banks " and neighbor- 

 ing fishing grounds. It is also recommended 

 that quarterly cruises be carried out in the 

 months of February, May, August and 

 November from Cape Lookout to the Ber- 

 mudas and thence to Florida. Monthly obser- 

 vations should be made on section between 

 southern Florida and Nassau, and between 

 southern Florida and Havana; also in the 

 Atlantic Ocean north of Cape Hatteras. 



(/) The Newfoundland Bank and adjacent 

 waters are both scientifically and practically 

 the most interesting area for study, since it 

 is here that we have the conflict between the 

 Gulf Stream and the Labrador current. The 

 bearing of the results obtained on the fishery 

 question would be very direct and very impor- 

 tant. The fact that the fishery on the Grand 

 Banks is seasonal would indicate an annual 

 periodicity in the hydrographical conditions. 

 Ways and means are not yet worked out for 

 connecting the study of the Newfoundland 

 Banks with a future, general study of the 

 North Atlantic Ocean. 



(g) The Portuguese coast and the Plateau 

 of the Azores can be investigated largely by 

 the Portuguese, who are very much interested 

 in the problem. With the permission of the 

 Portuguese government, two cruisers can make 

 quarterly cruises into these regions. 



Transatlantic lines of investigation can be 

 carried out only by direct government aid. 

 To secure this cooperation on the part of the 

 different governments, it is necessary to have 

 a weU-arranged program, and to select some 

 " favorable opportunity " for carrying it out. 

 The following program and opportunity are 



The Program 



The basin of the Atlantic is divided into 

 two great hollows by a submarine ridge run- 

 ning out from the Cable Plateau. The eastern 

 and western hollows have different hydro- 

 graphical conditions. The simplest plan would 

 be to draw the transatlantic line of investiga- 

 tion parallel with the degrees of latitude be- 

 tween America and Europe. The northern- 

 most of the three sections should be studied 

 approximately along the fifty-seventh degree 

 of latitude. This would be comparatively 

 simple. The depths of the Cable Plateau are 

 only from 1,000 to 3,000 meters, and this sec- 

 tion would cross all of the so-called " GuK 

 Stream Branches " in the north Atlantic. 



The southern sections should be drawn not 

 transversely, but diagonally. One should ex- 

 tend from the mouth of the Channel north 

 of the Plateau of the Azores to the West 

 Indies and the Caribbean Sea. The second 

 should extend from the Straits of Gibraltar 

 south of the Plateau of the Azores to Trinidad. 



The study of those two sections would de- 

 mand a complete equipment for oceanic deep- 

 water soundings, and a staff experienced in 

 such work on board large ships. The best time 

 would be from December to February, since 

 our knowledge of the condition of the sea is 

 especially incomplete in winter. 



The Opportunity 



It appears opportune that the first Atlantic 

 survey should be made with ships from the 

 Navy, at a time when such vessels are sent out 

 simultaneously from several European coun- 

 tries along the several routes indicated above. 

 Such an opportunity will present itself at the 

 opening of the Panama Canal in January, 

 1915. European countries will probably be 

 represented by naval vessels, and scientific 

 investigations could be made en route, without 

 great expense or serious loss of time. 



The Austrian and Italian vessels, coming 

 through the Straits of Gibraltar, could study 

 the southern section. Since a deep-sea sound- 

 ing requires only about twelve hours, and a 

 sounding of 1,000 meters only a few hours,. 



