17 



SCIENTIFIC PROGRAM 



During the northern oceanographic cruise 122 oceanographic 

 stations were occupied for serial temperatures and saUnities. In 

 deep water we went down almost invariably to 2,000 meters, and in 

 shallow water to close to the bottom. The greatest pains were taken 

 to make all work accurate. The positions of the stations were ob- 

 tained carefully and the locations of the various lines of stations cor- 

 respond, in general, very closely to different lines run by the Marion 

 in 1928. 



The stirring motor of the electrical salinometer broke down early 

 in the cruise, but it was rewound and placed in operation again through 

 the resourcefulness of the chief radioman. The thermo-regulator was 

 inoperative throughout the cruise and the constant temperature of 

 the water bath had to be maintained by manual means. In order to 

 control and check up on the determinations with the salinometer, 

 the titration outfit, which we carried on board, was put up in one of 

 the staterooms. Titrations were made until our supply of distilled 

 water was used. The titration could be made satisfactorily on board, 

 even when the movements of the vessel were quite noticeable. The 

 samples from stations on the Labrador side were determined by help 

 of the salinometer and titrations on board. All samples after the 

 station No. 1287 (south of Resolution Island) were saved for deter- 

 mination upon return to the United States. The oceanographic 

 results of the cruise will be published in United States Coast Guard 

 Bulletin 19, part 2. 



The fathometer which was on board functioned excellently through- 

 out the cruise. It was often kept running steadily for hours at a 

 time when entering or leaving unfrequented ports and when running 

 along close to poorly charted coasts. Over 1 ,800 well-located sound- 

 ings were systematically recorded. Many of these were obtained 

 in areas where very few soundings had previously been taken. These 

 soundings, when corrected and placed on charts, will be of interest 

 and of value both to scientists and mariners. The soundings in 

 Nachvak Bay, Gray Strait, Ungava Bay, Hudson Strait, Arsuk 

 Fiord, and off the norther Labrador coast should be the most valuable . 



Many up and down wire soundings were taken at different places 

 to check up on the results being obtained with the fathometer. The 

 accurate red-light method could be used up to about 125 fathoms. 

 Soundings up to about 2,000 fathoms could usually be obtained with 

 the white-light method. 



In addition to the surface water temperatures obtained at each 

 station, sea-water temperatures were recorded hourly while under way. 

 Consequently it was possible to construct a good surface isotherm 

 map. See Figure 27. 



