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University of California Publications. [Geology 



The vertical distribution of temperature on these two lines 

 is shown on the isobathymetrical charts accompanying the re- 

 port of the survey.* In both cases the isobathytherms in the 

 upper part of the ocean rise on approaching the California 

 Coast. They indicate that water near the surface close inshore 

 is as cold as that 1,000 to 2,000 feet below the surface 200 to 400 

 miles off shore. 



From 1888 to 1900 the Albatross made several series of 

 hydrographie soundings along the Pacific Coast. A line run in 

 September, 1888, off Cape Flattery falls between the first two 

 lines in the table of Tuscarora soundings. The stations are 

 close together and the temperature rises from 52° to 61° in run- 

 ning off shore about 50 miles and in the next 30 miles falls, but 

 only to 59°. The inshore cold belt is well marked, for the 

 temperature remains at 52° for the first 20 miles. Southward 

 from Cape Flattery to Cape Mendocino the series of surface 

 temperatures is quite complete but they are usually confined to a 

 coast belt of less than 30 miles in width. They are also scat- 

 tered through various months in the term of 12 years. For 

 comparison with the Tuscarora observations, temperatures taken 

 during the autumn months have been used. The general result 

 has been to confirm fully the conclusion that a belt of cold sur- 

 face water exists near shore. Of equal interest is the fact that 

 the temperatures show narrow belts of warm and of cold water 

 lying close together and frequently occurring in the area cov- 

 ered in one day's observations. Usually these narrow belts are 

 at right angles to the coast. This peculiar arrangement of the 

 minor temperature belts seems to negative definitely the idea 

 that the cold coast water is due to an inshore Arctic current, for 

 such a current would give a stream of moderately uniform 

 surface temperature and the variations that did occur would 

 naturally extend in belts or lanes having the same longitudinal 

 direction as the main stream. 



As an illustration of the results obtained in charting these 

 temperatures, a section of the coast extending about 150 miles 

 northwest from Cape Blanco is shown in PI. 31. Close inshore 

 * Senate Ex. Doe. No. 153, 52nd Cong., 1st Ses. 



