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Part III. — Seventh Annual Report 



after a continued prevalence of southerly winds, on the one hand, and of 

 northerly winds on the other. It appears, to say the least of it, highly 

 probable that, in accordance with Mr John Murray's observations, the 

 vertical distribution of temperature at the two periods would be in 

 marked contrast. The southerly wind, by producing a flow of the surface 

 water from south to north, must tend to increase if it does not originate 

 the inflow of the cold water along the bottom, while northerly winds 

 would probably have an opposite effect. 



It is interesting to note that, notwithstanding the comparative shallow- 

 ness of the water along the southern section, the temperature of the bottom 

 water in the eastern half of this section was distinctly lower than that 

 of the bottom water at any point of the northern section. It was in fact 

 here that the lowest temperatures observed during the whole cruise were 

 met with. It is true that the observations along the southern section were 

 made three weeks later than those along the northern section, but it seems 

 probable that the lower temperature of the bottom water along the southern 

 section is to be accounted for not so much by this fact, but rather by a 

 further advance of the colder water from the north flowing up hill along 

 the bottom of the North Sea. 



The observations made off the coast of Scotland were all at points 

 within a few miles from shore and in comparatively shallow water, 

 nowhere exceeding 24 fathoms. Accordingly the range of temperature 

 observed was a very narrow one and lay between 53° F. and 52° F. 

 (ll°-7 and 1 1° '1 C). A distinct lowering temperature was observed at 

 the stations near the Orkney Islands, but the range was equally narrow, 

 lying between 51° and 52° F. (11°-1 and 10°'5 C). 



A further fall in the temperature of the sea was observed in the Shet- 

 lands where the highest temperature observed was 51 0, 4 F. (10° *8 C.) 

 and the lowest 49° '0 F. (9° -5 C). This slightly greater range is due in 

 part to the greater depth at some of these stations. From the surface 

 down to 30 fathoms the extreme range was from 51 0, 4 to 49°*8 F. (10° '8 

 to 9° '9 C), and if we except one observation in Lerwick Bay, the range is 

 from 51°-2 to 49°'8 F. (10°'7 C. to 9°'9 C). 



These observations may be summed up as follows : — 



East Coast of Scotland. 



Mean of 9 observations at the surface, .... 52° '80 F. 



„ 4 „ between 8 and 10 fathoms, . . 52°'50 F. 

 Max., 53°*3 F. at surface, Station VI., near Taymouth. 

 Min., 52°'0 F. at bottom, Station VIII., off Bell Rock. 



Orkney Islands (East Coasts). 



Mean of 14 observations at the surface, . . . . 52° -33 F. 

 „ 4 „ between 8 and 10 fathoms, . . 51°*65 F. 



4 „ „ 15 and 20 „ . . 51°*75 F. 



Max., 52°- 9 F. at surface in Kirkwall Bay. 



Min., 51°-1 F. at bottom, Station XVI., Stronsay Firth (23J fathoms). 



Shetland Islands (East Coasts). 

 Mean of 15 observations at the surface, . . . . 51 0, 11 F. 

 „ 9 between 8 and 10 fathoms, . . 51° '02 F. 



Max., 51 0, 4 F. at surface in Lerwick Bay. 



Min., 49°-0 F. at bottom (60 fathoms), Station XXII., off Noss Head. 



On the coast of Norway and in the fiords there are several points in 

 striking contrast to the general character of the east coast of Scotland. 



