152 FRIDTJOF NANSEN. 



On the Jan Mayen side there is no coast water. 



The Coast Water off the Norwegian coast has spread more 

 seaward and become much broader in this section then in Sec- 

 tion I. 



This may be due to the configuration of the bottom to 

 the south. The fact that the centre of the Atlantic water, with 

 the highest salinity, has in Section II a more western situation 

 than in Section I may be due to the same cause. 



I have noticed in various parts of the Sea, e. g. the Barents 

 and Murman Sea^, that the course of the currents, even surface 

 currents, may to a very great extent be influenced by the con- 

 figuration of the bottom. If a current flows in a deep sea, and 

 the bottom of the sea-bed suddenly rises somewhat, even quite 

 moderately, tbe current will in most cases be more or less deflec- 

 ted. This is, for instance, to some extent the case with the Gulf 

 Stream meeting the submarine plateau between Norway and Bear 

 Island. It is the case in the Barents and Murman Sea, where 

 the North Cape Branch of the Gulf Stream (the North Cape 

 Current) meets the submarine plateau or ridge extending towards 

 the northwest from the Kanin Peninsula. ^ It is evidently also 

 the case with the East Greenland Polar Current meeting the sub- 

 marine barrier between Iceland and Greenland, it is to a great 

 extent deflected off towards the south-east. East of Iceland, in 

 spite of the Earth's rotation. When this east Icelandic Polar 

 Current comes south where the sea-bottom rises towards the 

 Faeroe — Iceland Ridge it is again to some extent deflected tow- 

 ards the east, etc. etc. That the current actually is somewhat 

 retarded, and that consequently some accumulation of its waters 

 occurs at this place, seem to be proved by the conspicuous 

 elevation of the upper isopyknals at Stat. 9 in Section I (PI. 12), 

 which could hardly be possible if there be no hindrance in the 



^ Cf. Nansen, 'Oceanography of ttie Nortli Polar Basin', etc., pp. 260, 



et seq. 

 - Nansen, 1. c, p. 260, 



