The sun., 1901-12-29
SCIENCE.
THE TRANSPARENCY AND THE COLOR OF
OCEAN WATER

| OCEAN WATER.
Tho questions, how far can light pene-
| trate layer OF water, and what il
| the cause Of the very various cnlors ,C
| the ocean, have been studi ,d ON .av-
eral scientific voyages during the last ten
years. The transparency is measured hv
determining the depth az which whi,e
| opaque disk can just be seen The diane
| eter of the disk as usually chosen /. ahnr,
one foot and its color is pure white. f.
| must ue sunk on the shaded sid. of H.,
vessel and IL observed 10y two per,o,I.
| The color OF the ocean water il determined
by comparing IL with certain standard
mixtures. To obtain these II /, first uece,-
sary to prepare two solutions, the fir,
containing one gram Of sulphate Of copupr
| In nine grams Of ammonia the second ON,
gram OF potassium-chromate in lsg gram,
| Of water. These solutions are mixed IN
| fifteen different proportions and kept "A
| fifteen standards and the color Of sea water
il matched ~ nearly as possible 10y one u
the standards.
| STANDARD No. 1 has part ~ ~" yellow
solution to 90 parts of the blue; ~. Il has
| so parts Of yellow TO 90 parts Of blue
| Experiments were made by VI. lNksch
| IN the eastern Mediterranean in N" fg,an
| and in the Rod Seas. Iran~pareuci"- eV-
| ceeding 80 metres were observed IN "
| per cent. in the first case, in ~ per cent IN
| the second and in ~ per cent only in ne
| third case. The colors also vary sur
| prisingly. In very blue water th" trans
| parency increases with the suns aIltuds
and IL was determined that the average
| transparency correspOndcd 10 a solar
| altitude of about 45 degrees.
The transparency varies with the color
| OF the water greatest for blu" wa'cu. 10
| oil lar for LARGO
| the season Of the year tgrcatttt IN Wlnt"r,
| with the sanitv of the water tgr"aio,r
| when most saline), with th" Temperature
| greatest for low temperatures, with tNs
| depth Of the water generally create,
| for deep water. with the Clouduro~ IL
| the sky greatest for clear skies, with
| the disturbance by waves greatest for
calm seasy, and so forth. The greatest
| transparency observed in th" fg"an sea
was AZ metres Photographic plates
we're also exposed at various depths to SEQ
| how far the chemical rays Of sunlight pen
etrated Fifty-fve experiments al depths
varying from 100 to 600 metres were made
| aud beyond the latter depth no action at
all was observed.
RESULTS OF SCIENTIFIC BALLOON AsCENsioN
Some results of the scientific balloon
ascensions made in Europe under the
direction Of the International Aerouau,cal
Committee follow: Great variations ~
temperature have been found at different
localities even In the uppermos' LAYERS
Of the atmosphere. The coldesi regions
lie 10 the northeast, the warmest 10 the
southwest Of the continent. Al an al
,itude of 5000 metres the temperature was
20 degrees C. above Paris and only 10 de-
pree- G. above Vienna al the same time. The
isothermal lines al 5000 metres run from
south toward northeast. Those oi minus
4
of the Adriatic Sea to Moscow; those u
minus Is degrees from southwestern France
To St Petersburg, DC.
The isobars Of 5000 metres also extent
in general in the same direction. ~"
lowest pressures are above England, th"
highest above southeastern Europe n"
velocity of the wind increases from -
met res per second at ! 800 metres attuC"
10 lI2 metres az 200. Al attitudes
above 5000 metres tho velocities are proha-
bly, above 10 metres.
SCIENTIFIC TREATMENT FOR DEAFNESS.
Mr.. Marage has lately communicated
10 the Paris Academy of Sciences scien-
tifc treatment for deafness which il SUBJ
tantiallv as follows
ul Measure accurately the auditivs
constituencies 10y causing the patient 10
listen. at "A constant distance, to the sounds
Of a siren reproducing the fundamental
vibration of the vowel sounds. The in
teusitv Of sound being proportional to tie
pressure of the air the audltiVe acuiiy II
when the pressure must be millime'r"'
In order that the sound may be heard.
The normal 0cuity, unity, IL that OF an ear
which hears the sound under a pressure "i
one millmetre.
= Make the patient listen 10 the sounds
of the same siren through tube PROVIDED
with Il membrane which transmits all Nlura-
tious without introducing or suppr"~-lii
any Of the harmDrlCS. lhl- II kilR '.
maS-age Of the ear made bN Nihid'I"'
which II is destined normally 20 p"rc'f'".
This treatment IL never painful aud never
produces hu2zing- or Increases 10" d"'-
ucss and has frequently produced tAet-
leut results
lNpUCED HAuIO-ACTIYITY
Different solid bOdie- copper, platinum,
lead. g.a--. wax, paper ana - form I"'-
r.m- radioactive when they az" Ta''i
in a closed yr--rl along with or" 'i 80
radioactive salts ut bgrum, or, -'.. '''.'.
immrr-,d iu a solution - such -i' I'"
iudur-i radiatiYn i- Il th" sam" ''o'H.'f
s- tia' 90 r.r original salt r- ra'r 80
d-tIaf.I iu "a magu''ie field
o. '4'H containing gar u'.'
Ir.--.f,. lar a ,IiT.u' ui "ls-.irlU.' fH.-
i.r..g. o.. he ga- t'7piur- IuuIr
.... lI.--.r" ~ lIN ruHugll, o. Do go ..
Ar al H MN pr'rrur" isvllu'-
vU,.r -. irr.f,si fUr rAamI
.r.t, -..Ii-fauus I- ls.t U,H r
a r..a. .U' IImIaH-..s H'F'.. H
I.r..Yfr. wh.U i.r aI .- 90 r 10
..... .i IIr HFuf sailr- O.. '..
ritF hirbs uf Aa,us| I.|..
N,--r- IDr,, auH u........ .'
..t....l lrts- IEa'.I ...
..Hf. sf IgNrf.a. ir..r .. u..