Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1911-01-28
Things Worth Knowing
Valuable Industrial Data Cleaned
from Authorities for the Ken
nebec journal.
THE OCEAN.

ing 31,6l4 feet toff the island of Guam
The volume of water in this space is es-
tmated ut 3oo.1",r0 Gu. m The land
average height is 2.Sia feet, greatest
height, 21,d00 feet.
Ocean waters are normally BLUSH in
color. brackish in taste. heavier than
pure water, and less easily heated and
cooled. The color of sea water varies
greatly. Where particles in suspension
are abundant, the waters may appear to
have their color &c. e. in the yellow Sea-,
or the sea may he tinted by the presence
of innumerable minute organisms ,e. g,
the Red Sea-. or even rendered phosphor-
escent by them.
In addition to the hydrogen and oxygen
of water and the oxygen and nitrogen of
air contained in the ocean, some 80 other
chemical elements are found, the ma
jority in minute quantities. The soluble
salts, however, make up some s43 parts
in every 1000. These are chlorides tSodl-
nm, e69: magnesium, g.: and potassium.
OF per cent?: sulphates magnesium. %;
calcium, Is per cent?: and carbonates.
OIL per cent The chlordes equal $50 per
cent of total salts. the sulphates 1o.@,
and the carbonates o. per cent.
Chlorides predominant in sea water,
carhonates in river water. 1t is not
enough to assume that the constant
evaporation of pure water, and the con
slant addition of river water with salts
in solution. explain the saiinity OF the
ocean.
The specifc gravity and density OF sea
water are. owing to these salts, greater
than those of pure water. the mean valne
being OPS when pure water is counted l.
A column of sea water q feet II inches
long produces pressure of an atthos-
phere (pure water column, . Ieet'' AZ
great depths, other conditions beng SIM
liar. the density is little greater imam
at the surface. owing to the slight COM
nrassihlity of sea water If this COM
nression could be removed, ii Is Sald
tbot the level Of the ocean would rise
some 1l5 feet. Density is also affected
by temperature. ana IS slea'eSt
tween o252 and 25.5' F.
The specifc heat of oceanic waters IS
high. but not so great as that OF pure
water. The specific heat of water OF
specific density l.o27 is o.93, pure water
being unity. 1t takes as much neat To
warm one G. M of sea water c. as to
warm a,lo0o G. m. of air.
Only Is per cent. of the surface waters,
but as much as o. per cent. of the bottom
waters, have a mean temperature uhoer
400 r. The surface temperatures dintth-
ish from over So F. near the equator to
below freezing point near the polar cir
Giles.
The isothermS are bevt poleWards III
the cast of the oceans in tropical and III
the west of the oceans in higher temper
ate ATTITUDES This Is natural couse-
quence OF the direction Of the prevailing
winds. and shows that they move the
surface waters in directions normal 10
their own. The surface conditions con-
tinue from 800 to 400 feet. but from about
800 10 $50 feet very sudden changes IN
temperature conditions occur.
The sea is much warmer in the tropi-
cal regions than either round the equa-
tor or in the still colder regions farther
north. Thus is to be explained by up
yelling of colder water from below at the
equator. and of sinking of dense warm
water round the tropics. Below 100 feet
the vertical fall Of temperature is very
slow. and the horizontal variations are
very small. indicating probably Il slow
horizontal movemert of the waters.
The rate of evaporation, and the supply
of fresh water by rain or rivers or ice
are the factors determining the salinity
of the surface waters. Those OF the
rainy regions round the equator are less
salt (about 1880 than those of the almost
as warm. but relatively cloudless and
dry, tradewind areas (above 1G3o, on
the polar side of which the salinitY grad
ually diminishes.
Enclosed seas in warm regions receiV-
ing little rain or river water have even
higher salinities than the trade-wind
areas tabove 1880 on the polar side OF
which the salinity gradually diminishes.
Enclosed seas in warm regions receiving
little rain or river water have even high
er salinities than the trade areas
(e. e. Mediterranean 1.03a5); while such
as receive many rivers, even if the rain
fall is low, have much lower salinites
te. g. Baltic.
Density is the chief factor determining
movement of water in parts of the ocean
beyond the influence of factors acting on
its surface. The surface equatorial wat
ers are less dense tunder 1.021) than those
of the tropical areas lover 1027 and
thence the density dininishes toward the
poles. being less than 1.025 within the
polar circles.
The surface currents are doubtless
caused by the prevailing winds. and they
move. like the winds. around the areas of
nigh pressure, clockwise in the Northern
counter-clockwise in the Southern hemis
phere. Between the two westerly cur
rents of the equatorial regions. coun-
ter-current moves eastward In tho
North Indian Ocean, however the mon.
soon changes modify the circulation.
which is, on the whole, easterly or wes
terly according as the southwest or
northeast monsoon is blowing: while in
the south of the continents, where no
lands intervene, there is a continuous
eastward movement of the waters The
charts showing ocean currents are COM
piled from papers contained in scaled
bottles, thrown overheard at sea, and
picked up on the beach or by other ships:
hence the name bottle charts"
Vertical movements affect the surface
only in very restricted areas, such as
the windWard side of tho oceans in trade