Democratic Sentinel, Volume 20, Number 51, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 25 December 1896 — Temperature of the Polar Sea. [ARTICLE]

Temperature of the Polar Sea.

Some of the members of the Nansen expedition at Tromsoe have been relating to a Reuter’s correspondent some of the scientific facts gleaned during the expedition. During the course of the cruise the crew had on several occasions exciting encounters with bears. North of 84 degrees, however, no animal fife was found to exist, and this would seem to cast some discredit on the hitherto prevalent theory that if a sufficiently high latitude could be attained, one would come to dry land and open water, because birds are to be seen flying toward the extreme north. This northerly flight of the birds is now believed to be attributed to their having lost their way or being blown out of their course. The depth of the water in the extreme north also seems to indicate that there can be no land near. Soundings taken at 84 degrees latitude gave a depth of from 1,310 to 1,530 fathoms, and further north the lead reached even greater depths, as much as 3,186 fathoms, it is said. From observations made'’ in 1894-96, the tern perature of in these regions was found to present several peculiarities. At a depth of 109 fathoms the water was cold. Then came a stratum of about 382 fathoms with soirie degree of heat, and under this stratum about 490 fathoms of eold water. The proportion of salt in the water varied a good deal. These conditions were pretty much-ithe same everywhere. The further north they got the less current and tide there was, while the wind began to exercise considerable influence on the course of the Frasn.

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