SliRFACE WATERS (W THE NOl:TH ATLANTIC' OCEAN, 
1)7 
encloses a wide area south and east of the land. East of this area, in lono;. 45*^ W., 
the lines up to 36 are crowded closely together, and beyoiid this little ciiange is 
apparent from last month. Li the north-eastern region there is again little change. 
In mid-Atlantic the S-shape of the 35 line is more marked, and there is an east¬ 
ward movement of the whole. 
Tims the great feature is an expansion of a large cold fresh area east and south¬ 
east of Newfoundland, and the freshen!]m’ and coolino- (d' the water east of Lahradoi' 
and east and south-east of Greenland. 
Comparing with 1896 : the cold fresh area extends further south and aljout the 
same distance east of Newfoundland; salinity and temperature are somewhat lower 
in the south-eastern area. In the Faeroe-Shetland Channel, temperature is lower ; 
west of the Faeroes the 10° line takes a similar course to the south-east of Iceland ; 
east of Iceland the course of the 5° line show’s much low’er temperatures. To the 
east and south-east of Greenland the surface water is colder and fresher, wdiile in 
Davis Strait the general tendency is tow’ards greater warmth and saltness. 
August, 1897.—In this month the relatively cold area to the east of Newfoundland 
is less pronounced, hut it becomes more marked towards the south ; tlie lines close in 
eastward off the land, and vrestward in about long. 45° W. In the eastern region 
there is a general rise of temperature, w’hich becomes very marked in tlie Faeroe- 
Shetland Channel—-note the changed position of the 10° line. To the east, south¬ 
east, and west of Greenland the type of distribution remains the same. There is a 
great rise of temperature in the north of Davis Strait. 
There is a marked fall of salinity west of Cape Race along the land. East of this 
the isohallnes tend to run more north and south, hut the higher lines are more to the 
eastward. In the north-eastern region the 3 5'3 line has opened out across the 
Faeroe-Shetland Channel, and the 35 line has shifted to the W. and N.W. 
The most important changes are therefore the spreading of the tresh water area, 
wliich has become hotter near the land; and of the salter waters tow’ards tlie iiorth- 
east and north-west. 
Temperature and salinity are higher off the United States coa,st than in 1896, but 
off Newfoundland the cold fresh area extends lioth farther east and farther south. 
In the south-east temperatures are much the same, salinities slightly low’er; north¬ 
east temperatures are higher in the Faeroe-Shetland Channel, salinities apparently 
nearly the same. South of Spitsbergen the 35 w’ater does not seem to cover such a 
large area, but (if we compare also July, 1897) it curves more to the west. 
To the south-west of Iceland temperatures and salinities are both lower—note the 
35 line and the 10° line—hut this difference does not persist over any great area to 
the south or south-east of Greenland, at least in the case of the salinity. 
Septeviher, 1897.—Temperature has fallen considerably in the south-western area, 
and especially to the east of Newfoundland, wdiere the bend of the 12° line has filled 
out. In the south central and south-eastern region temperature is unchanged. East 
VOL. CXCVI.-A, 
O 
