Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1905-04-21
FLOOR OF, THE NORTH ATLANTIC
Depths In Which Huge Mountains
Could Be Hidden.

Sir John Murray has prepared q
paper on the floor Of the North Allan
tic, which is condensed for "The Bull
letin of the American Geographical
Society,"" The region dealt with OK
tends from latitude 20 to latitude 6o
north, and embraces about 6.S75,OOO
square geographical miles. Between
the limits indicated over 70 per cent
of the area Of the sea floor Is covered
by water between 1000 and 5000 faith
oms in depth, about 20 per cent Is COW
cred by less than 1000 fathoms OF
water and 10 per cent by more than
5000 fathoms.
The shallow zone, with depths OF
less than 1000 fathoms, forms>a bor-
der around the North Atlantic Basin
along the coasts of Africa, Europe and
North America, and along the Iceland
plateau, which joins the British Islands
with Iceland. This zone includes the
Continental slope. and soundings have
shown in some places what are believ-
ed to be submerged river basins OF
submarine gullies. This shallow zone
also surrounds the islands and island
groups and also submarine elevations
that do not reach the surface.
The area covered by water between
1000 and 1000 fathoms in depth Is
about one fourth of the total area. II
extends along the eastern. northern
and western borders Of the map, out
side the shallower zone, and also ex-
tends uninterruptedly from the north
ern border down the centre OF the
ocean as far as the equator. This CEN
tral ridge or plateau is probably the
most striking characteristic In the
bathymetry of the North Atlantic Ba-
sin. 1t is very irregular in outline
and Is widest In the northern portion
between latitude 80 and so north.
The area Of the North Atlantic sea
floor covered by water between 1000
and 5000 fathoms (12,00O to $4,000
feet) in depth Is nearly one-half OF
the total area. This zone forms two
large irregular areas-one to the east
the other to the west Of the CEN
tral ridge or plateau. The eastern
area extends as far north as latitude
So north, while the western one reach
es latitude So north.
The area Of the sea floor covered by
more than 5000 fathoms Of water Is
about one tenth Of the total area. To
these parts Of the ocean basins the
term "deeps' has been applied, and
distinguishing names are applied to
them. Sir John Murray briefly de-
scribes the ten "deeps" in the order OF
their size. The Mares Deep Is the
largest and most important In the At
lantic. It's maximum depth Is 1852
fathoms (27,972 feet) and Is situated
to the south of latitude 20 north
Within the limits Of the area under
consideration the Mares Deep covers
over 100000 square geographical miles
of the North Atlantic.
From Sir John Murray's description
1t Is evident that the bed Of the North
Atlantic presents the greatest diver
gencies in it's configuration. From the
central ridge or plateau, as we'll as
from deeper water, there rise eleva-
tions which form islands like the Ma
deira, Azores, the Cape Verdes and
Bermuda. On the other hand, what
are called "deeps" descend about TO-
900 feet below the level Of the waves
If the highest mountain in the world
(EveresD were placed in the Mares
Deep it would form an island the sum-
NIT Of which would be about 1000
feet above the water The estimated
elevation of that peak is $4,000 feet. or
nearly six times.