The average monthly curves, since they are combinations 

 of a large number of bathythermograms taken at different 

 times and at slightly different geographical positions, will 

 be somewhat smoothed. This results in the minimizing of 

 certain characteristic features such as the sharpness of the 

 thermocline. However, these curves give a reasonable re- 

 presentation of the relative heat content in the surface layers. 



Qualitative investigations lead to the conclusion that 

 within the antarctic region the heating of the surface layers 

 does not extend below 200 feet. Changes in the thermal struc- 

 ture below this depth must be related to advection. In view 

 of this fact the relative heat contents of each of the average 

 thermal structures have been computed only for the upper 

 200 feet, using the temperature at 200 feet as the reference 

 temperature. The computation of the relative heat content 

 involved the numerical integration of the equation: 



'200 = a p 



At , dz 



a- - conversion factor involving conversion of feet to 

 cm. and of °F to °C. 



~p = average density of the column of sea water. 



c p = specific heat of sea water. 



At rf = t r/ -t 200 ; i.e., the temperature at the depth, d, minus 

 the temperature at 200 feet. 



z = the vertical variable, positive downwards. 



The resulting relative heat content for each of the three 

 months is shown in table 2. 



Table 2. Relative heat content. 



Month 



Relative Heat Content 



to 200 Feet 



(gm.-cal./cm. ? ) 





December 



January 



February 



1422 

 2218 

 8118 





1 



19 



