Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1901-01-14
NANSEN ON THE GULF STREAM.
Its Effect Upon European Weather
Great. but Variable.


From the London Standard.
Prof Nansen has made the following
statements with regard to the results OF
the experiments conducted during his last
expedition on the Michael Sars, which has
lately returned to Norway. The gulf
stream, he says, is subject to great
changes and very little is as yet known
as to its strength in winter. 1t was much
weaker on the Norwegian coast this year
than usually is the case, and the temper
allure was consequently lower. At the same
time a very warm summer has been expe-
rienced in the west of Iceland, and the cur
rent that passes there was warmer TINS
summer than usual. In general, the warm
water coming from the Atlantic into the
northern regions this summer appears to
have had different distribution than Its
usual one This is most important as re-
CARDS the climatic conditions on the coasts
which the stream passes.
1t is generally admitted that the gulf
stream considerably affects the climate OF
the western coast of Britain and Norway,
of Iceland and possibly even of Spitzber-
gen The effect is most marked in winter.
While the harbors of the Baltic are Ice
bound, those of the western coast or Nor
way even as far north as Hammerfest,
are always open to shipping. In Great
Britain the lines of equal temperature in
January run nearly north and south, In
stead of almost east and west, as In July,
so that any one in Middlesborough would
find a warmer climate In m1dWfnter by
going to Whitehaven than by travelling
due south to an equal distance. This also
is one of the reasons why Aberdeen at
that time is much warmer than Vienna
The late eminent mathematician, Dr. W.
HOPKINS estimated that without the gulf
stream the mean annual temperature OF
Carnarvonshire would be seven and half
degrees, that of the north OF Scotland fully
twelve degrees. and that of Iceland as
degrees
present.
From the Gulf of Mexico. where its wa
tiers are raised to a warmth In winter OF
seVenty-seven degrees Fahrenhelt and IN
summer I'D to eighty-three degrees Fahren-
heit it issues like huge river of warmer
water flowing over the vast mass or the
cooler ocean beneath. AS 1t Issues from
between Florida and Cuba 1t is equivalent
to stream about fifty miles broad and
more than a hundred fathoms deep which
is then flowing at rate OF from three 10
four miles an hour Gradually 1t spreads
out like partly opened ran, the more east
ern part losing itself in the Atlantic, the
western and stronger flowing steadily In a
northeasterly direction, and rended on
from the American coast by the colo cur
rent which is returning southwark from
Arctic regions. Thus it plays on northwest
ern Europe like a stream flowing from
hose. and the water which has LETT the
| Gulf of Mexico in the hot summer months
probably comes near to the other side OF
| the Atlantic In the winter season. The
| amount of heat which it transfers was es-
| timated by the late DR.. Croll as being equal
| to what is received from the sun by rather
more than a million and half square
| miles at the equator
This heat is slowly radiated by the broad
| LAYER of flowing water as 1t journeys from
| the boiler in the Gulf of Mexico to the re-
| frigerator In arctic seas. But Prof. Nan
| sens observations suggest that the current
| does not always follow precisely the same
| path That indeed. is only to be expected
| While Its general direction will be constant
for that depends on great physical causes
minor variations are possible. If, for In
| stance the southwark flowing arctic cur
| rents be a little stronger than usual, they
| will push the gulf stream rather more to
| the east and then Iceland will suffer. If
| the observations were taken over sufi-
| GENTLY wide area of the north Atlantic and
| for "a long enough time it might be possible
| to prophesy the direction which the gull
| stream would follow in its journey across
| the Atlantic, and the places on which II
| would have the greatest influence at any
| particular time-in other words. to fore
| tell what kind of a season the farmer
| might expect.