Digital Commons Network^™

Direct Measurements Of The Atlantic Equatorial Undercurrent, M. C. Stalcup, W. G. Metcalf

Journal of Marine Research

Measurements from 57 current meters suspended from anchored buoys in a network between 1.5°N and 1.5°S and from 27.5°W to 35°W in the Atlantic Ocean between February and April 1963 show speeds up to 70 cm/sec within the Equatorial Undercurrent. The bottom of the Undercurrent appears to be no deeper than 150 m; below th is dep th there is a westward-flowing current with speeds up to 25 cm/sec.

On The Dynamical Formulation Of The Large-Scale Momentum Exchange Between Atmosphere And Ocean, W. Lawrence Gates

Journal of Marine Research

The vorticity equations for the vertically integrated momentum are derived for both the ocean and atmosphere, subject to the hydrostatic approximation, with the ocean's surface treated as a material interface. The familiar wind-stress curl is the dominant momentum exchange mechanism for large- and synoptic-scale circulations, with the air-pressure torque on the sea surface becoming of comparable importance for motion scales of the order of 102 km. The effect of the divergence of the integrated mass flux is among the larger terms of the vorticity equation for all scales of transient motion considered.

Influence Of The Surtsey Eruption On The Nutrient Content Of The Surrounding Seawater, Unnsteinn Stefánsson

Journal of Marine Research

The influence of the recent Surtsey eruption on the nutrient content of the surrounding seawater was studied over a period of one year. During the first months, while the eruption was explosive and when seawater flooded the vents, a significant increase in reactive silicates was observed within 30 km of the eruption center, and the silicate concentration had increased by a factor of three near the island. After the eruption changed to an effusive phase, in early April 1964, the amounts dissolved were negligible, except close to the island where bot lava entered the sea....

Rossby Waves With Bottom Topography, George Veronis

Journal of Marine Research

A simple analysis shows the analogy between Rossby waves and waves caused by irregularities in the depth of a homogeneous layer of fluid in a rotating system. The effect of bottom topography is shown to be very important in generating low-frequency waves and is more important than the β effect even for relatively small changes in the depth....

Oriented Marine Cores: A Description Of New Locking Compasses And Triggering Mechanisms, André M. Rosfelder, Neil F. Marshall

Journal of Marine Research

While core-orientation data are becoming more and more necessary for marine sedimentological studies, there are no rugged, inexpensive, or convenient compasses that are insensitive to the ambient pressure, the inclination of the corer, and the bottom impact. This paper describes some instruments designed in an attempt to overcome these problems. A hemispherical compass, a free-floating spherical compass, an inexpensive "compass smasher," and some proposed simplified models of these are described....

Primary Productivity In The Gerlache And Bransfield Straits Of Antarctica, Enrique F. Mandelli, Paul R. Burkholder

Journal of Marine Research

Distribution of the standing crop of phytoplankton and primary productivity in the Gerlache and Bransfield straits was studied during February and March 1965 aboard the Argentine Navy Icebreaker GENERAL SAN MARTIN. Relatively high standing-crop values, expressed in chlorophyll a per square meter, were exhibited in the euphotic zone, with ranges of 86-209 mg/m2 in the Gerlache Strait area and 20-209 mg/m2 in the Bransfield Strait area. Primary productivity was also high in both areas, but not commensurate with what might be expected for the standing crop in Gerlache Strait....

Small-Scale, Horizontal Vortices In The Surface Layer Of The Sea, Robert W. Owen Jr.

Journal of Marine Research

A vortex system in the water near the sea surface has been inferred from collection into parallel rows of a positively phototaxic zooplankton population. Water velocity in the upper part of convergence planes of the system has been equated with estimated swimming speed of the animals....

The Distribution Of Phytoplankton, And Its Relationship To Hydrography, Between Southern New England And Venezuela, Edward M. Hulburt

Journal of Marine Research

Data obtained on numerous cruises, from southern New England to the Caribbean Sea, between September 1956 and August 1963 form the basis for this study on the relationship of flora to hydrography. Seaward from the southern New England coast, with salinity increasing, the quantity of phytoplankton in near-surface water (0-25 m) decreases while the proportion of oceanic species increases. In the Sargasso Sea, in summer, the stratification and flora are similar from north to south, but in winter, when there is a difference in stratifi cation of the upper 200 m in the northern and southern portions, there is a …

Further Measurements And Observations On The Cromwell Current, John A. Knauss

Journal of Marine Research

The Cromwell Current was observed in the eastern Pacific during the Scripps Institution of Oceanography SWAN SONG Expedition, 5 September–1 December 1961, employing hydrographic stations and direct current measurements. The velocity structure in 1961 at 140°W was similar to that observed in April 1958 except that the transport in 1961 was only 22 × 106 m3 /sec---55% of the transport observed in 1958....

Habits Of Juvenile Fishes In Two Rhode Island Estuaries, Mohammed Saeed Mulkana

Gulf and Caribbean Research

The basic purpose of this work was to gain information on the possible role of some Rhode Island estuaries as nursery grounds for young migrant and resident species of fishes.

The areas selected were, the lower Pettaquamscutt River and the lower Point Judith Pond, both in the town of Narragansett, Rhode Island. The seining operations were carried through summer and early fall of 1962 when these estuaries are heavily used as nursery grounds. Major features of the occurrence, abundance and distribution of young fishes were deduced by examining samples from seine hauls. Thirty-six species were recorded from the lower river …

Studies Of Annual Abundance Of Postlarval Penaeid Shrimp In The Estuarine Waters Of Mississippi, As Related To Subsequent Commercial Catches, J.Y. Christmas, Gordon Gunter, Patricia Musgrave

Gulf and Caribbean Research

Several workers and several lines of evidence have shown that the shrimp life cycle is very short, probably about 15 to 16 months, for the very small fraction reaching the largest adult size. Additionally, a great deal of commercial fishing is carried out upon sub-adult populations within the bays and shallow Gulf. In fact most shrimp that are caught have never spawned. These shrimp grow up within one warm season and they are derived from larvae which make their way to inside waters from the offshore spawning areas. Thus, it has been surmised for a long time that prediction of …

A Perfusion Chamber For Electrode Studies On The Physiology Of Planktonic Algae, Charles S. Yentsch

Journal of Marine Research

An algal photosynthetic chamber using an oxygen electrode is described. It is unique in that the algae are held in the chamber on a filter. In this manner a high concentration of cells per unit volume of chamber and a high sensitivity to oxygen production is obtained. Other advantages of this system are that the solution around the algae on the filter is changed easily without disturbing the cells and the chamber is easily adapted to continuous closed circulation.

Notes On The Theory Of The Thermocline, Robert Blandford

Journal of Marine Research

This paper presents an exact analytical solution in closed form for a steady, laminar model of the oceanic thermocline. The model includes vertical diffusion and horizontal and vertical convection of heat. The solution satisfies boundary conditions that are in fair agreement with observation over the range of latitude 10° to 45°. The behavior of the solution is given as a function of the imposed temperature and vertical velocity component at the bottom of the Ekman layer....

The Activity Coefficient Of Sodium Chloride In Seawater, R. F. Platford

Journal of Marine Research

Using a sodium amalgam and silver-silver chloride electrode pair, the mean activity coefficient of sodium chloride in synthetic seawater has been compared with that in pure sodium chloride solutions. Effects of concentration and temperature were measured. The mean activity coefficient in synthetic seawater was found to be slightly higher than in a sodium chloride solution of the same ionic strength. No explanation for this is offered.

The Activity Coeffiicient Of Sodium Sulfate In Seawater, R. F. Platford, Thomas Dafoe

Journal of Marine Research

The mean activity coefficient of sodium sulfate in artificial seawater has been measured with a sodium amalgam electrode and a lead amalgam-lead sulfate electrode. The value of 0.378 at 25°C and 35‰ salinity, and other data, suggest that a considerable fraction of the sulfate ion is tied up as a sodium sulfate complex.

An Experimental Study Of The P-V-T-S Relations Of Seawater, Mark S. Newton, George C. Kennedy

Journal of Marine Research

The compressibility of seawater has been determined as a function of salinity, pressure, and temperature. Specific volumes have been computed. The salinities, as measured on a University of Washington-type conductivity bridge, were 0.00, 30.52, 34.99, and 41.03‰. The pressure range was from r to r 300 bars and the temperature range from 0°C to 25°C. The experiments were carried out by measuring decrements of volume at 100-bar intervals spaced in 5° isotherms....

Late Tertiary Planktonic Foraminifera Associated With A Basaltic Boulder From The Mid-Atlantic Ridge, Richard Cifelli

Journal of Marine Research

A dredge haul obtained from the mid-Atlantic Ridge at 22° 56' N, 46° 35' W yielded a consolidated, partially silicified foraminiferal ooze and some frag ments of an apparently altered basalt. The age of the consolidated ooze, determined from its assemblage of planktonic Foraminifera, is late Tertiary and probably late Miocene. The inference is that deposition of the consolidated ooze preceded the extrusion of the basalt, with silicification of the ooze occurring during the periods of extrusion and alteration of the basalt.

A Technique For The Direct Measurement Of Transport With Application To The Straits Of Florida, William S. Richardson, William J. Schmitz Jr.

Journal of Marine Research

A method is described by which the volume transport per unit width of a water column is obtained from measurements of the run time, depth, and horizontal d efl ection of a freely falling instrument. Measurements of the north-south component of transport in the Straits of Florida using this technique gave 35.5 ± 1.2 x 106 m3/sec on August 16 and 17, 1964. The surface currents and east-west components of transport are also given.

Fundamental Mode Edge Waves Over A Steeply Sloping Shelf, Bryan Johns

Journal of Marine Research

Fundamental mode edge waves over a steeply sloping shelf are considered. With the orientation of the coastline as prescribed in the present treatment (north-south), it is found that the Coriolis effect is of decreasing significance as the slope of the shelf increases and that the theory developed by Stokes (1846) is ultimately applicable.

Use Of The Goldberg Refractometer As A Salinometer For Biological And Geological Field Work, E. William Behrens

Journal of Marine Research

The Goldberg Refractometer (American Optical Co., model 10402) has been tested as a potential field salinometer. The instrument has a range of 0 to 220‰ and an accuracy of about one ppt. Although it is inaccurate relative to titration and conductimetric salinometers, the Refractometer has the advantages of temperature compensation, small size, small sample requirements, large range, and low cost.

Water Characteristics Of The Caribbean Sea, Wilton Sturges

Journal of Marine Research

The volume of Caribbean Sea water in bivariate classes of potential temperature vs. salinity has been estimated from 76 hydrographic stations. The resulting statistics are presented on a pair of characteristic diagrams. The outstanding feature of the diagrams is the strong mode; nearly half of all Caribbean water lies within 0.1°C and 0.02 per mil of the mode, at 3.9°C, 34.98 per mil....

On Thermally Maintained Circulation In A Closed Ocean Basin, P. P. Niiler, A. R. Robinson, S. L. Spiegel

Journal of Marine Research

A three-dimensional model of a thermohaline-maintained circulation is presented for a closed basin of finite depth on the beta plane. The circulation, which conserves potential vorticity, consists of a westward drift at all levels in the open ocean and a return flow that is accomplished in a swift eastward-flowing current. A comparison is made to Worthington's recent water-mass analysis of deep circulation in the North Atlantic Basin.

Disadvantages Of The Olson Drift Card, And Description Of A Newly Designed Card, C. P. Duncan

Journal of Marine Research

Disadvantages of the Olson drift card are discussed, and a newly designed polythene drift card (3 mm thick) is described. This card is compact and complete. In tests along the South African coast it has proved to be durable and convenient. The tests indicate that it compares favorably with either drift bottles or the Olson plastic envelopes.

A Technique For Measuring Deep Ocean Currents Close To The Bottom With An Unattached Current Meter, And Some Preliminary Results, John A. Knauss

Journal of Marine Research

A new system for measuring deep ocean currents close to the bottom is described. The device is moored in suspension with a float. Four sets of measurements, totaling 75.8 hours, were made at depths down to 5337 m. For one 16-hour period, a steady current of 17 cm/sec was recorded 3.5 m from the bottom at 5192 m. One measurement at 3584 m, 60 miles northeast of Cape Hatteras, indicates that the Gulf Stream extended to the bottom in this region .

On Finite Amplitude Instability In Thermohaline Convection, George Veronis

Journal of Marine Research

When a horizontally infinite layer of fluid is subjected to a stabilizing salt gradient and to a destabilizing temperature gradient, the system becomes unstable for a sufficiently large value of the latter. The present analysis indicates that the system should become unstable to overstable or oscillatory perturbations when the disturbance is infinitesimal....

A New Unattached Sediment Sampler, Peter L. Sachs, Samuel O. Raymond

Journal of Marine Research

An improved sediment sampler that is used without winch or wire has been developed, tested, and used at sea. The device employs an expendable iron-ballast, steel-casing combination and a recoverable glass-float, plastic-liner assembly. Of 50 samplers launched in deep water under a variety of conditions, 46 instruments were recovered. Forty-one of these contained samples....

A Necessary Condition For The Existence Of An Inertial Boundary Layer In A Baroclinic Ocean, Joseph Pedlosky

Journal of Marine Research

A criterion for the existence of an inertial boundary current in a baroclinic ocean is derived. It is shown that the effect of topographical variations can play a decisive role in determining whether an inertial boundary current can exist, even if the velocity field is highly baroclinic.

Oceanographic Implications Of Radioactive Fall-Out Distributions In The Atlantic Ocean: From 20°N To 25°S, From 1957 To 1961, Vaughan T. Bowen, Thomas T. Sugihara

Journal of Marine Research

The patterns of Sr90 distribution in the equatorial Atlantic are described for the years 1957, 1958, 1960, and 1961. Evidence is drawn from analysis of surface samples and of vertical profiles. The concentration distributions bear no resemblance to patterns of fall-out delivery on land; it is concluded that hydrographic processes are responsible for seawater concentration patterns. The data provide evidence for two otherwise unobserved, high fallout incidents over the Atlantic Ocean....

Measurements Of The Electrical Conductivity Of Seawater, William S. Reeburgh

Journal of Marine Research

Measurements of the absolute specific conductance of solutions prepared from a sample of Red Sea water are described. Conductivity was measured at 2°C temperature intervals from - 1°C to 35°C and at 1‰ chlorinity intervals from 16‰ to 22‰. Precision of individual measurements was 0.001 millimho/cm in conductivity, 0.002‰ in chlorinity; and 0.001°C in temperature.

Hermetically-Sealing Seawater Sampler, Rudolf H. Bieri

Journal of Marine Research

This paper describes a device that seals samples of seawater in situ in an aluminum or copper tube in millimeter quantities such that the dissolved gases are retained and can be transferred to vacuum systems without either the loss of the contained gases or the introduction of air. The instrument has been tested to depths of 4000 m in the open ocean under modestly harsh conditions.