266 



University of California Publications. 



[Geology 



H. Townsend* for the work of the Albatross for the years 1883- 

 1900. The original observations upon which this paper is based 

 are found largely in Mr. Townsend 's compilation and in the 

 valuable work of Admiral Makaroff f which tabulates tempera- 

 tures taken in the North Pacific from 1804 to 1890, but does not 

 include the work of the Albatross. 



TEMPERATURE OBSERVATIONS OP THE TUSCARORA.J 



Some of the most marked peculiarities in the temperature 

 distribution off the west coast of the United States are well 

 shown by tabulating the observations of Commander Belknap 

 of the U. S. S. Tuscarora. In 1873 the Tuscarora had been de- 

 tailed for the purpose of finding a suitable route for a cable 

 between the United States and Japan. A series of soundings 

 was made on lines running west from the Pacific Coast to deter- 

 mine the slope and the general nature of the ocean bottom near 

 shore. Incidentally the temperature of the ocean water was 

 taken — the series of observations is fairly complete for surface 

 and bottom temperatures but rather incomplete for serial tem- 

 peratures showing the conditions at intermediate depths. The 

 surface temperatures obtained on 14 lines running approxi- 

 mately west from the coast and at intervals from Cape Flattery 

 to San Diego are given in the table herewith. The first tem- 

 pera ture in each line is the temperature found nearest shore. 

 Unfortunately this is not at a constant distance from the coast 

 line. Where the difference is material, the first sounding is set 

 o\er a corresponding amount in the table. 



The first line of soundings was made September 17 to 20, 

 1873 ; the eight lines from Flattery Eocks to San Francisco, Oc- 

 tober 20 to November 6 ; the lines between San Francisco and 

 San Diego from December 20 to 30. As these observations 

 were distributed over a period of three months, each line of 

 soundings must be taken by itself to avoid confusing seasonal 



* IT. S. Fish Commission, Report for 1900, pp. 387-562. 

 t Makaroff, S. Le Vitiaz et L 'Ocean Pacifique, St. Petersburg, 1894. 

 X Belknap, Geo. E., Deep Sea Soundings in the North Pacific. U. S. 

 Hydrographic Office, 1874. 



Found also in Makaroff 's work. 



