CHAPTER VIII 



OCEANOGRAPHY AND SEA-ICE 



Bathymetry 



IN the following brief account of various character- 

 istics of Antarctic oceanography obviously only a 

 few of the leading features can be discussed. Perhaps 

 the most complete work in this field is that done by the 

 German expedition of 1902 under Professor Drygalski, 

 and much of the following data on currents is derived 

 from his research. The effect of conditions in Ant- 

 arctica upon the climates of the settled lands of the 

 world, more particularly those in the south temperate 

 areas, is profound. We have seen that with the ex- 

 ception of the South Victoria Horst, the continental 

 coast as a whole consists of the icy margins of the 

 huge Ice Cap which end in abrupt walls. From these 

 margins break off the great tabular icebergs, to be 

 considered later. Fringing these walls in winter is a 

 belt of pack ice, which breaks away in summer and is 

 carried north to chill the waters of the South Pacific, 

 South Atlantic, and South Indian oceans. Currents 

 carry this chilled water almost to the equator, notably 

 on the western coasts of the southern continents. There 

 is every indication, that the changes from drought 

 years to good years in southern settlements are in no 



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