PROF. HULL ON DR. NANSEN's BATHYMETRICAL RESEARCHES, ETC. 215 



listening to Dr. Nansen at the meeting of the Royal Geographical 

 Society on Tuesday last, and hearing the statement of his 

 discoveries in the Arctic Ocean and along the coast of Norway, it 

 occurred to me that it might be interesting to you if I was to give 

 you (in brief) some account of these discoveries in connection 

 with those which we ourselves have already considered at the 

 meetings of the Institute. I have therefore prepared this 

 communication, which is entirely extempore, and which will be 

 illustrated to a certain extent by lantern slides. 



1. The Atlantic border. — Now for those present who have not 

 previously had an opportunity of investigating the sub-oceanic 

 physical features of the Atlantic, and the North Sea and Arctic 

 Ocean, I have just drawn here on the board an outline of what 

 these physical features are, in cross sections. They are really 

 very simple in detail. They consist first of the sea margin of 

 the Atlantic ; then of a platform, the margin of which has 

 generally a steep descent into the abysmal ocean ; this is called 

 " the Continental Platform " on which the continent of Europe 

 and the British Islands and Norway are practically built. This 

 great platform extends along the sea coast and westward to 

 Greenland, and southward along the coast of Europe and Africa. 

 Then we come to the outer margin of the continental platform, 

 where the descent of the sea-bed down into the abysmal ocean, 

 to a depth perhaps of 6,000 or 7,000 feet below the present 

 surface, becomes steep and abrupt. But when we come 

 to Norway we find there, according to Dr. Nansen's views, 

 instead of having one platform coming out from the coast, 

 there are really two ; one being " the coast platform" which 

 is just a little above or below the actual level of the sea, 

 and which contains principally all the little islands which 

 lie off the coast of Norway, between which and the coast cruisers 

 and yachts can sail in smooth water, while outside there may 

 be a stormy sea. This is the " coast platform" which is 

 different from the continental platform, and probably of more 

 recent origin. The continental platform has been recognised 

 by the soundings as far south as the Congo and on northward 

 into the borders of Europe. 



Then, we come to the coast of Europe ; here w T e have most 

 beautifully defined river valleys, as for example that of the 

 Tagus, coming down across the platform, and with their channels 

 descending to about 6,000 feet below the level of the ocean. 



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