1872.] 



' Shearwater ' Scientific Researches. 



53D 



Part I. 



Temperature-Phenomena of the Atlantic, in relation to 

 those of other seas and to the general oceanic cir- 

 culation. 



1. The first scientific "work to which we applied ourselves was the ob- 

 taining, on the 16th of August, a deep Temperature-sounding in Lat. 

 41° 9' N. and Long. 10° 2' E.,— about 60 miles to the west of Oporto. 

 The depth here struck was no less than 2100 fathoms ; but unfortunately 

 the line parted in reeling-in, aud we lost two thermometers and a water- 

 bottle. This incident was greatly to be regretted, as the results of Serial 

 Soundings at this depth would have been of peculiar interest. — Circum- 

 stances were unfavourable, however, to the renewal of the attempt in this 

 locality. 



2. On the 17th we took three Soundings nearer the Coast of Portugal ; 

 the first two in Lat. 38° 20§' N. and Long. 9° 23' W., which, with a sur- 

 face-temperature of 66°, gave a bottom-temperature of 54°'5 at 570 fathoms, 

 and 56° at 600 fathoms ; while the third, in Lat. 38° 13' N. and 9° 21' W., 

 gave 53° in 590 fathoms. These temperatures were higher by 5° or more 

 than those which were obtained last year, nearly in the same locality, at 

 corresponding depths (see Report for 1870, § 79) ; and I cannot account 

 for this elevation in any other way, than by supposing that as w r e know the 

 bottom along this part of the coast to be very rocky and irregular, with 

 many "holes," the area within which the higher temperatures were found 

 may have been cut off, as regards its deeper stratum, from the basin of the 

 Atlantic, — just in the same manner as the deeper portion of the Sulu Sea 

 appears to be cut off from the China Sea (§ 12). 





Atlantic. 



[Mediterranean. 





° Fahr. 



Below 



° Fabr. 



Below 





surface. 



surface. 





68 



o 



69-5 



o 





68-5 



+ 0'5 



59 



-10-5 



20 „ 



62 



- 6 



5 7 "5 



-12 



30 „ 



61 



— 7 



565 



-13 



40 „ 



59*5 



- 8-5 



55*7 



-13-8 



50 „ 



59*5 



- 8-5 



55-3 



-14-2 



60 „ 



59 



- 9 







70 „ 



58-8 



- 9-2 







80 „ 



58*5 



- 9'5 







90 „ 



58 



— 10 







100 „ 



57-7 



-10-3 



547 



-14-8 



