New-York tribune., 1873-02-11

In the science ol pnNhlCaA keokIaphg INC OCeah
holds more important place than is usually ac-
,orsed to 1t in popular conceptions. Most persons
kabtually regard it only as vast unlimited, bot
tsmless abyss. Even scientific thinkers, by a kind
Of optical Illusion look upon the phenomena of con-
tnental regions as of more consequence than those
Of the ocean, Just as men in an earlier age,
rs they beheld the starry vault over their heads
imagined it TO be an immense dome
resting on the structure Of the earth Yet 1t is upon
the Ocean that all the phenomena of planetary life
Sepend The continents are elaborated in the bosom
Of the seas. Without them the earth, like ametalhc
turface could give birth 20 organic life. The ma
taras of the continental masses have assumed their
form and character at the bottom Of the sea. Even
sn the sides and SUBMITS Of mountains, now raised
to = lofty hight above the level of the sea-
are found traces of its action in ancient
times. The work is still going on under our
very ewes The process of formation, com
nenc,d by the seas in the earliest epochs Is
still pursued without inteTmission During our
short life on earth we may witness important
changes along the shores. The waves slowly de-
stroy peninsula in place, and spread out sandy
beaches and iSlets in another. New rocks suceeeu
,be ancient rocks that have been demolished by the
waves. Promontories of granite have been dlslnte-
grated by the action of the waters, and then mate
over PLAYS conspicuous part in the grand series Oh
nhysical changes. Innumorable insects, TOO minute
Ia be seen bv the naked eye, constantly engaged
IN the work of consumption and reproduction
They absorb matter which the rivers Drlhe
down 10 the sea. They secretc substances "hicu
form their skeletons and cases AS one generato"
after another of these pershes' their remains
are spread ont over the bottom Of the sea- OF heapeu
upon the strand In the end, they form vast S'oi',
zine banks which by some subsequent eievauoA wiz
be brought 10 light. Thus the ocean is perpe'u'ii'
creating a world which differs from the oiu one III
the appearance and disposition OF us DEUS Inv
ground on which the stately cities oi the present
now rest will disappear like the continents of pre-
yious epochs. while the unknown spaces Wnch
the waters now cover viii rise TO The
light "a. continents. islands, or peninsulas. In the
long period Of geological ages, during which the
lands are NOT bathed by the waters of the sea but
NV the waves of the atmosphere the influence OF the
ocean il not lost II still continues TO modify the
.urfce Of the globe hy it's clouds its rains and al
tbemeteoric agencies 10 which it gives birth. The
glaciers which carry down the huge bowlders into
the valleys are first deposited by the clouds IN the
form of snow on the tops of the mountains. Inc
waters which penetrate into the depths OF the ground
which dissolve the rocks hollow out the caverns and
b-pr tothe surface.are but marine
Napors returning in fluid state TO the BASIN troHl
which they arose The rivers, in fine. which spread
life over the globe and without which the continents
would he uninhabitabe deserts, are nothing else
than q system of veins which carry back to the
great heart of the ocean the waters which have been
distributed over the soil by the arteria system of
clouds and rains.
The constant saltness OF the ocean presents a sub
icct of curious study. The sea-watcr is always
charged with chemical solutions which give 1t q
spc,;fc gravity considerably greater than that OF
fresh WAGER. This proportion varies with tue guam
titv Of the substances dissolved, the amount OF
eyaporatiou aud the contributions OF rams and
rivers Every variation of temperature, every local
movement Of the sea- causes change in the amount
Of salts dissolved and in the specific gravity Of the
water We can thus obtain only an average Tor the
varions conditions of the fluid mass in the different
seas.
This average quantity is estimated by the latest
experiments al little less than three and han per
rent. The relative proportion of the substances
held ia solution is the in all seas The common
salt dissolved in sea water is always about three
quarters of the whole mineral matter held in solu-
ton In the North tropical Atlantic where the evap
sratiuu is very rapid, and the ocean receives no
Tributaries the average Of salts is nearly four parts
in 100 In mid ocean, and especially on the coast OF
America where the waters of many great MYERS
Iniuplc with that of the sea- the sltness is less, by
nne. two and even three thOusandtbs, while IN the
terd waters of the Gulf Stream II is greater, al
vays exceeding thirty-fve thoUsandths, the usual
average. On the other hand. the water which flows
from NE pole towards the equator by Bafn's Bay,
routaius only thirty-three thousandths on account
If the enormous accumulation Of ice.
With regard to basins almost inclosed, like the
Mediterranean, the Caribbean Sea, and the Baltic,
their saltnoss should be greater than that OF the
scean. according 10 the ratio between the evapora-
tion and the fresh water brought by the rivers and
rlouds In the Mediterranean, the loss by evapora-
ton being more considerable lthan the contributions
of fresh wafer the salness ought to increase and
the liquid mass would constantly diminish if q cur
rent did not set in from the Atlantic through the
Straits Of Gibraltar and restore the equilibrium. The
mean satness of this sea is nearly thirty-eight
fhousaudths and even exceeds thirty-nine thou
sandths on the coasts of TripOl which are exposed
60 the parching winds Of the Lbyan desert. The
Caribbean Sea presents higher relative saltness on
account of the Of evaporation over the CON
trihution of fresh water The contrary happens in
the Gulf of ST. Lawrence, IN the North Sea, III the
Baltic. and the Euxine.
The common salt dissolved in the ocean gives 1t
chiefly its peculiar tayOI, well as the OdOr which
is borne upon the seabreezes as they travel over the
land laden Win the me spray OF inc waves Inc
hr which rests upon the sea also contains salt to
considerable hight. On the coast Of Peru at an ee-
walton Of 1000 feet, materials washed in distilled
water are known TO be covered for a few days with
AL incrustatiou Of salt.
The color Of thesea-water object of unfailing
interest to the aesthetic observer well TO the
man Of sci.Ice. Nothing can be found in Nature
more beautiful than its chsngeable and delicate
huts The varied aspects Of the heavens, with all
the wonderful play of light and shade, are pro
dnced by the ocean. " At dawn, the surface of the
water is gently Enlightened by the glimmering of the
atmosphere as Yet pale and faint; then the spark