122 Scientific Intelligence. 
1 
earth would sink to nearly that of stellar space, which, according 
to the investigations of Sir John Herschel* and of M. Pouillet,+ is 
not above —239° F. Were the earth possessed of no atmosphere, 
the temperature of its surface would sink to exactly that of space, 
heat 
would therefore stand a little higher than that of space ; or, in 
r words, it would stand a little higher than it would otherwise 
that of space: the stoppage of the Gulfstream would therefore de- 
prive the Atlantic of an amount of heat which would be sufficient 
to maintain its temperature 59° above what it would otherwise 
be, did it depend alone upon the heat received directly from the 
It does not, of course, follow that the Gulfstream actually 
the stream is neutralized to a very considerable extent by cold 
currents trom the arctic regions. “But 59° of rise represent its 
actual power; consequently 59°, minus the lowering effect of the 
cold currents, represent the actual rise. What the rise may 
: at th 
amount to at any particular place must be determined by other 
ee ote 
* ‘Meteorology,’ Section 36. 
_ é oe Rendus, July 9, 1838. Taylor’s Scientific Memoirs, vol. ix, p. 44, 
_¢ The mean temperature of the Atlantic between the tropics and the arctic 
circle, according to Admiral FitzRoy’s chart, is about 60°, But he assigns far too 
a“ & temperature for latitudes above 50°. ' It is probable that is not far from 
