compared to a 2.4-inch change from 1245 to 1700. 

 It is possible that the wind efFect (average wind 

 speed, 21 mph) is sufficient to mask the extremely 

 low tidal range during this period. 



Dall^ concluded that the northly current through 

 the Strait is probably chiefly dependent on the tide 

 for its force and direction, while studies in 1949 by 

 Lesser and Pickard^ indicate that the current through 

 the Bering Strait is not primarily tidal in character, 

 nor does it have a major tidal component. It is 

 apparent that the relation of tides to the water trans- 

 port through the Bering Strait remains a contradic- 

 tory subject, and the problem can be resolved only 

 by a well coordinated tide and current measurement 

 program which covers sufficient tidal cycles to permit 

 a valid analysis. 



Assuming velocity measurements at the 20-mile 

 position are valid to 25 nautical miles, the average 

 volume transport through a 25-mile vertical section 

 of the Strait extending due west from the Field 

 Station (along the measurement line of fig. 1) has 



been calculated for the 1 August 1954 observation 

 period. 



For transport calculation purposes the 25-mile 

 section was divided into bands of average current 

 velocity as indicated in figure 4 (crosses denote an- 

 chor station positions and depths). 



The average northerly water transport through 

 a 25-mile section of the eastern Bering Strait is 

 10^ X cubic meters per second for the period from 

 0200 to 1400 is shown in figure 5. The average maxi- 

 mum transport value of 1.84 X 10" cubic meters per 

 second is significantly higher than previous average 

 values for the entire strait of 0.88 computed by 

 Sverdrup^ and 1.28 determined as a summer value 

 based on oceanographic observations taken in 1949.* 



The current data clearly indicate the erroneous 

 interpretation which can be drawn from a series of 

 current measurements taken at varying time intervals 

 and positions in the Bering Strait, and are indicative 

 of short term fluctuations in current and transport 

 which may be encountered. 



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WIND SPEED ' 

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0800 1200 1600 2000 



BERING STANDARD TIME 



Figure 3. Averoge hourly wind speed and tide range, 1 August 1954, Wales, Alaska. 



