New-York tribune., 1871-12-08
FOREIGN MISCELLANY.
OCEANIC CURRENTS.


STREAM AFFECTS THE CLIMATE OF ENGLAND
AND WESTERN EUROPE-THE BRITISH GOV
EMINENT CONTEMPLATING MORE THOhoU'fh
sEA-SOUNDINGs.
DR.. VIM. CARPENTER. F. r. g., F. l.. s., better
known to the world great psychologist thah ~
ply sicis has Just given. at ST. Georges HAIL. ohuon' "
one OF the regular Of Sunday afternoon lectures
his new theories respecting oceanic currents. de
began his address by saying he had reccntly
received from America an Interesting pamphiet'
written by Col slas Bent, respecting oceanic
currents With the most of Col. Bents views he ex'
pressed his concurrence but there were others whcn
affected the assured prosperity Of England from which
he dsseuted and which lie should endeavOr to prove
be falacious He read an extract from the pamphes
which stated that the mild climate of the British lsiand
and all the northwest OF Europe was due 10
the thermal effects OF the Gulf Stream, ana put
for the influence Of this stream In modifying
the normal temperature these countries would nave tne
iubosptable climate belonging to corresponding lat
tudes In the Western Continent; and, should tue
Ithmus OF Panama cut through, 80 as to allow the
Gulf Stream continue its westward course INTO tne
Pacific Ocean, instead Of taking its present
direction an irretrevabe calamity wond fall upon those
countries in the form Of rigin bOrea climate whlch ho
human effort could avert He amusngly alluded 10 INC
very humane considerations by which America might
consider herself deferred from melting ont this are m W
no large part of the civilized world and added tat inc
proyince of his lecture would be to refute this theory
upon which it seemed possible to base so much Amer
lean generosity.
From a suspended chart, Dr. Carpenter pointed out
the position Of the great warm ocean current KNOW" d.
the Gulf Stream, accepting. In opposition 10 Lieut..
Maury the generally received theory that the Initial
force OF this current is he attributed to the Tdde
minds the broad between the coasts OF Africa ana
south America. The two points made by Dr. carpenter
are first that the climatic temperature OF the eastern
shore OF America is abnormal rather IMAM tna'
and hat hp
higher temperature of the western coast or the Btsh
islands compared with the atitudcs Of the eastern
coast is not to be attributed to the Gulf Stream In
support OF the first point Dr. Carpenter sated that inc
climate Of the Mediterranean might be taken rs the
normal temperature OF that latitude, since III
Winter II had the very Uniform temperature from
top to bottom of about 81 which corrcsponded almost
entirely with the average annual temperature OF Bor-
dcaux Genoa, and other adjacent localities with which
q comparison had been made In summer tho temper
aturc OF the surface of the Mediterranean rises to about
so but at the bottom during the entire year II remains
at 81, its uniform Winter temperature lie thinRs inc
cold occasioncd by the mountains OF Western Asia quite
sufficient to Offset the Influence OF the African
Winds On the other hand, the cold northern
current that skirts the Atlantic coast Of America, hold
ing its place the surface till it reaches the Caronas,
reduce the climate Of Labrador, New-Fonnd"hu'
New England, aud indeed the whole coast as fur as II cX-
tends, very much below the normal temperatures
He cited the Winter temperature or Boston anu Ne"-
York in comparison with the temperature OF the same
ATTITUDES In Spain. He then proceeded to directly
demosh the Theory that the Gulf Stream affects the
climate OF England and Western Europe All VINO are
familiar with the charts Of the Gulf Stream will remem-
Der that when In its northeasery course II reaches
about the middle Of the ocean between America ana
Europe 1t divides, and part OF IT. taking at first a
southwark curve, bends around into westerly dlrec
ton and goes back across the Atlantic till il again joins
the original northward current forming In the middle OF
the Atlantic an eiptical basin, known as tho Sarag0ssa
Sea.
Dr. CARPENTER maintained that this returning current
takes much the larger part OF the waters OF the
warm Gulf Stream long before they could, by any posi-
biy affect the climate OF the Eastern continent; and
that the remaining part OF the current, that still
maintains it's north-westerly direction toward tic
Western coast Of the British Islands, spreads
itself into q shallow surface stream. ana divides
with numerous radiatng streams winch Intercollegiate
with similar radiating streams OF northern current
flowing south westerly. He claims that the thermal In
nuence of this small quantity of warm Gulf Stream
water neutralzcd y the cold current with which
"intcrd gitatcs and freely mnges. To account for
the mild temperature Of the western coast OF the British
Islands Carpenter sets forth another theory, based
upon soundings and physical effects III sea water
He maintains that from soundings made of
the coast Of Spain northward, all about the region
OF the British Islands, there is uninistakabe
evidence, that great mass OF warm water. OF very
nearly uniform temperature. is flowing northward from
off the Of Spain to the west Of the British Islands,
and that this that the mild climate OF the western
coast Of the Islands to be attributed To account for
this norhwari Aow lie sets theory OF universal ap-
pcaton, which, II it comes into generatacceptancc as
the basis of extended sea-soundings will do much both
to modify simplify the theories that have hitherto
prevailed concerning these great oceanic movements
III giving an exposition Of this view, Dr. Carpen
ter began by saying he thought far too little cOnsdera
ton had given to the physical phenomenon that
a ffntl.xr
in freezing that while fresh water contracted only down
to 3io salt water continued its contraction to the
temperature 27o This contraction In the polar
gOns would tend to form depressed basin about the
poles, which the adjacent waters, the principle Of
gravitatiOn, would flow lin to fill. This new sup
ply becoming constantly cooled and contracted
would create demand for continuous
that central basin: and this disturbance Of the
equilibrium in the great mass OF water, combining with
that produced by the evaporation in the equatorial re-
gOns, would give rise to the general flow OF warm
face water northward and corresponding flow Of cold
substratum water southwark Dr. Carpenter thinks the
records OF scasoundings already made give strong ind
cations In support OF the that the depths OF the
sea almost uniformly indicate the higher temper
aure that this theory supposes In some cases where
the indications have seemed to contradict this the
thermometers used have been subsequently proved to be
not properly protected; and consequently untrust-
worthy In their reports Of temperature Local pccuar
ties which conflict with this general theory he thinks
may be for the most part explained by peculiar
disturbing causes Eeis long elptical circuit Of
oceanic water, extending in its longest
diameter from the equator to the poles would be key
to bring at time all the water OF the to the
face. This less complete GratOn Of the water
DR.. Carpenter considers Of immense Importance In Its
bearing upon the biological consideration Of the
The fact that deep basins destitute Of life lie
thinks may be attributed to the want Of movement Of
the water n their confined basins by which 1t s de-
prived OF the necessary aerial influences. In