Thibodaux minerva. [volume] (Thibodaux, La.) 18??-1858, 1856-01-19
Cause of the Open Polar Sea.

We have received pamphlet by Samuel Ho-
liugsworth, Of Philadelphia, in which are some
yery ingenious specu!ations relating to the cause
of the open Polar Sea discovered by DR.. Kane.
He attributes it to the flow of current of warm
water from the equatorial to the polar regions
underneath a colder current from the North 70
the tropical SEAS He says, the water OF the
ocean at the equator and within the tropics Is
not only heated at its surface by the surround
ing atmosphere, but is also heated at It's DOT
tom. This heat is derived from the earth, i's
temperature being elevated by the suns rays
nassing through the water, and the water heat
ed at the bottom to about ~ degs. rises 10 tne
surface when it attains the temperature OF o.
deps, The vacuum formed by the rising water
is supplied at the bottom by the water flowing
to it from the colder regions. This equatorial
surface water would flow towards the north and
return south how could it do this! were 1t
not for the earth's diurnal motion, which gives
4 westerly direction, and being confined by
,be north coast of South America, it proceeds
along it to the Gulf Of Mexico, where meeting
With the North American continent, it takes a
direction along our shores, and forms the Gulf
Stream This immense body Of surface water
flowing from the equatorial region, as it pro-
crosses northward, loses gradually its heat,
until it meets with water colder than itself,
which reduces it to 40 degs., at which point
water is heavier than at any temperature above
or below it. In this manner meeting with
colder water-and consequently lighter than
itself-it becomes an under current moving on
ward in a direction opposite to that above it,
towards the Polar regions, where, accommodating
in an immense body, at q temperature OF or, 1t
forms an open Polar Sea. The Polar region
thus becomes q basin as it we're, to receive these
under currents, thence they flow southwark to
restore the equilibrium at the place Of begin
ming" @ .-
This is an ingenious theory. A wise Provi-
dence has constituted water with a quality by
which it becomes heavier at 40 degs. than when
it is formed into solid (ice) at 80 dogs. Were
it not for this quality, our lakes and rivers
would become solid fields of ice during winter.
1t is therefore perfectly reasonable conclu-
sion, that warm under ocean current may be
flowing to the Polar regions, but then we cannot
see how these warm waters can accumulate
there, unless by arresting both the upper and
under currents. s
A correspondent of the United States Gazette,
Phila., endeavors to account for the Polar Sea
by heat evolved from the rarifed and cold air
of the upper regions of the atmosphere, in conse-
quence of the compression and condensation
which it undergoes in descending to the level Of
the ocean, according to the theory Of wind
circuits set forth in Lieut.. Maury's .wind and
Current Charts
One Of cur correspondents-Wm. Slater, Of
this city-in letter to US, attributes the cause
Of an open Polar Sea to the earth being coneaue
at its poles, and great heat being poured into
that concavity'' He believes that no under
currents Of the ocean could effect such condi-
ton of things as an open warm Arctic sea. He
also believes that there is q warm region at the
North Pole, Of an extent and capacity that
might sustain population equal to that of
France. Thus three different persons have pre-
sented as many different views with regard to
the open Polar Sea, and perhaps ten times as
many other theories may yet be set forth. We
entertain no positive opinion respecting its
cause. We believe that another vcyager to the
Arctic regions might find the Polar Sea seen by
Dr.. Kane entirely covered with ice We have
come to such conclusion from the fact Of one
Arctic voyager finding an open sea in one place,
where another Arctic navigator, in different
season, saw nothing but impossible fields of ice.
~ LScientifc Aaaericaa.