The Washburn times. [volume] (Washburn, Wis.) 1896-1976, 1913-12-25
|CI1Y FLAT TENANTS MAKES WATER WARM
Claimed Icebergs Have Heating
Effect on Ocean.
Montreal Professor Bases His Theory
on Experiments in Belle Isle
Straits Water Chilled by
berg Does Not Spread.

The belief has long prevailed among
seafaring men that the approach to
icebergs could be detected by the in
creasing chill of the water. Such
views were quite natural. for they
were assumed on the ground that the
cooling influence of the melting ice
rendered the water ice cold, condi
ton which could be shown by the OBJ
servation of submerged thermometers
Such beliefs are radically wrong
and if one is to believe the results OF
observations taken by Canadian gov
eminent vessel during the past sum
mer, theories concerning icebergs
must be revised. 1t was found that
the water chilled by the berg does not
spread outward, but owing to its
greater density, sinks downward. This
movement draws the surface water
toward the ice, and the surface cur
rents, not being cooled by normal YER
teal circulation, grow warmer as they
near the iceberg HI. T. Barnes of Nc
Gill University. Montreal, gives some
steamer Montcalm, as follows:
Careful records were made of the
temperature effects of icebergs and
land These tests have shown con-
clusively that it is the rise of the tenn
perature which is the direct action or
the melting iceberg, and that when a
fall of temperature is observed near
ice. it is due to the influence of a cold
er current from the north in which
the iceberg is carried. The cooling
influence of the ice itself is very
small.
"As a good example of how icebergs
and groups of icebergs affect the wa
ter temperature. microthermOgram
from the records which were obtained
in a westward passage through the
Straits of Belle ISLE shows that in
every case the approach Of Ice caused
a rise of temperature.
THE explanation of this iceberg Ell
feet was founded on Pettersson's the
DRY of ice melting in salt water. by
this theory, which can easily be veri-
fed by a simple experiment, ice melt
ing in salt water produces three cur
rents; first, a current of sea water
cooled by the ice, which sinks down
ward by gravity; second, current OIL
warm sea water moving toward the
ice: third, a current of light fresh
water from the ice, which rises and
spreads over the surface of the salt
water.
"I at first thought that it was this
surface current of fresh wafer that in
fluenced the microt lermometeS in the
actual sea tests. The fringe of this
lighter water would be warmer than
the sea water on account of the action
of the sun and scattered radiation,
which is very strong at sea. The light
er water would retain the heat be-
cause it could not mix readily with
the sea water Near the iceberg !
considered that fall of temperature
would result from the cooling in
fluence of the surface current OF fresh
er water.
my recent tests have shown, how
ever, that an iceberg melts so slowly
that no effect of the dilution can be
detected even right beside the berg
Larger variations were found over
different parts of the sea than were
obtained in the proximity of ice.
my tests have shown that an ice
berg probably causes only two OF the
Peterson currents-that is, a colo
current sinking downward, carrying
with it all the melted ice water, and
horizontal surface current Of sea wa
ter flowing in toward the ice to cause
it's melting. By this means we should
expect the sea in the immediate proxi-
nifty of icebergs to be warmer than
farther away, because the sea surface
current is moving inward toward the
berg, and does not show in the nor
NAL yerticle circulation which tends
to keep the sea surface temperature
cooler.
1T is interesting to find that an ice
berg causes it's own current of warm
err water, thus providing for it's own
destruction. Abundant evidence is at
hand to show the melting process 60
ing on under the water line.
Another interesting fact brought out
by Mr.. Barnes is the large amount OF
dissolved air in berg ice. Ice water
made with bits chopped from berg
effervesces, he says, almost like soda
water. He thinks that the reported
sudden sinking of the bergs with a
loud report may be due to their ex-
plosion from air pent up in their in
terror.