CONTENTS 



Page 



Introduction 1 



Data and methods 1 



Temperature observations 4 



Northern Middle Atlantic Bight 4 



Spring 1968-76 4 



Autumn 1964-76 7 



Southern Middle Atlantic Bight 7 



Spring 1968-76 7 



Autumn 1967-76 9 



Discussion 10 



Causes of temperature variations 10 



Relationship of temperatures eastand west of Cape Cod 11 



Effects of temperature variations 11 



Acknowledgment 12 



Literature cited 12 



Figures 



1. Middle Atlantic Bight boundaries used in analysis of bottom-water temperature data 2 



2. Distribution of bottom-water temperatures in the Middle Atlantic Bight during spring 1968-76 3 



3. Distribution of bottom-water temperatures in the Middle Atlantic Bight during autumn 1964-76 .... 5 



4. Observed and adjusted annual and long-term mean bottom-water temperatures n the northern 

 Middle Atlantic Bight during spring 1968-76 8 



5. Observed and adjusted mean bottom-water temperature anomalies in the northern Middle Atlantic 



Bight during spring 1968-76 and autumn 1964-76 9 



6. Observed and adjusted annual and long-term mean bottom-water temperatures in the northern 

 Middle Atlantic Bight during autumn 1964-76 9 



7. Observed and adjusted annual and long-term mean bottom-water temperatures in the southern 

 Middle Atlantic Bight during spring 1968-76 9 



8. Observed and adjusted mean bottom-water temperature anomalies in the southern Middle Atlantic 



Bight during spring 1968-76 and autumn 1967-76 10 



9. Observed and adjusted annual and long-term mean bottom-water temperatures in the southern 

 Middle Atlantic Bight during autumn 1967-76 10 



10. Adjusted annual mean bottom-water temperature indices in four areas of the western North Atlantic 



continental shelf, 1968-76 12 



Tables 



1. Percentages of temperature class intervals in the northern Middle Atlantic Bight during spring 

 1968-76 7 



2. Percentages of temperature class intervals in the northern Middle Atlantic Bight during autumn 

 1964-76 7 



3. Percentages of temperature class intervals in the southern Middle Atlantic Bight during spring 

 1968-76 7 



4. Percentages of temperature class intervals in the southern Middle Atlantic Bight during autumn 

 1967-76 8 



5. Middates of sampling bottom-water temperature data in the Middle Atlantic Bight 8 



6. Observed and adjusted mean bottom-water temperatures in the northern Middle Atlantic Bight 

 during spring 1968-76 and autumn 1964-76 8 



7. Bottom-water temperature anomalies in the northern Middle Atlantic Bight during spring 1968-76 



and autumn 1964-76 8 



8. Observed and adjusted mean bottom-water temperatures in the southern Middle Atlantic Bight 

 during spring 1968-76 and autumn 1967-76 9 



9. Bottom-water temperature anomalies in the southern Middle Atlantic Bight during spring 1968-76 



and autumn 1967-76 10 



