79 



three bergs to watch as they drifted across the extrasoutherly steam- 

 ship tracks. This berg drifted farther south than any of which the ice 

 patrol has made a record. 



In order to determine whether or not it was a cold current from the 

 north that caused this berg to assume such a southerly drift, a series 

 of observations on the temperature of the water were made to the 

 depth of 750 meters. The results obtained at station 308, lat. 41 ° 28', 

 long. 50° 38', taken May 19 near the berg, which was drifting 135°, 

 true, at the rate of 1.8 knots per hour at the time, are given below. 



Surface 15. 9° C. 



50 meters 15. 0° C. 



125 meters 14. 1° C. 



250 meters 15. 7° C. 



450 meters 12. 6° C. 



750 meters 15. 2° C. 



The temperatures, obviously, negative the presence of any Arctic 

 water, but are, on the other hand, proof that berg 17 was floating well 

 within the limits of the Gulf Stream. 



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It was noted that the sounding wire at station 308 had a decided 

 slant, when lowered to the 800 meter depth, the plane of which ran 

 225°, true. The current causing this slant was of considerable 

 strength, as the sounding wire was carried well under the ship's keel. 

 The wind factor can be eliminated, since light variable airs prevailed. 



The upper layers of water in which the berg floated, to a depth of 

 180 to 200 meters, were known to be carrying berg 17 southeasterly 

 at this time. It is believed, therefore, that the 225° set observed by 

 the slant of the sounding wire was the direction of flow of the water 

 layers 200 to 800 meters below the surface. This difference in direc- 

 tion of flow between the surface layers and the deeper layers is inter- 

 esting in that it calls attention to the complexity of the circulation 

 involved at times in this part of the ocean. The cause of the south- 



