Outlines of the Earth's History: A Popular Study in PhysiographyShaler, Nathaniel Southgate
History
Outlines of the Earth's History: A Popular Study in Physiography
Shaler, Nathaniel Southgate
Physical geography
We have already noted the fact that only a portion of the waters sent
northward in the Gulf Stream and the other currents which flow from
the equator to the poles is returned by the surface flow which sets
toward the equator along the eastern side of the basins. The largest
share of the tide effects its return journey in other ways. Some
portion of this remainder sets equatorward in local cold streams, such
as that which pours forth through Davis Strait into Baffin Bay,
flowing under the Gulf Stream waters for an unknown distance toward
the tropics. There are several of these local as yet little known
streams, which doubtless bring about a certain amount of circulation
between the polar regions and the tropical districts. Their effect is,
however, probably small as compared with that massive drift which we
have now to note.
The tropical waters when they attain high latitudes are constantly
cooled, and are overlaid by the warmer contributions of that tide, and
are thus brought lower and lower in the sea. When they start downward
they have, as observations show, a temperature not much above the
freezing point of salt water. They do not congeal for the reason that
the salt of the ocean lowers the point at which the water solidifies
to near 28 deg. Fahr. The effect of this action is gradually to press down
the surface cold water until it attains the very bottom in all the
circumpolar regions. At the same time this descending water drifts
along the bottom of the ocean troughs toward the equatorial realm. As
this cold water is heavier than that which is of higher temperature
and nearer the surface, it has no tendency to rise. Being below the
disturbing influences of any current save its own, it does not tend,
except in a very small measure, to mingle with the warmer overlying
fluid. The result is that it continues its journey until it may come
within the tropics without having gained a temperature of more than
35 deg. Fahr., the increase in heat being due in small measure to that
which it receives from the earth's interior and that which it acquires
from the overlying warmer water. Attaining the region of the tropical
current, this drift water from the poles gradually rises, to take the
place of that which goes poleward, becomes warm, and again starts on
its surface journey toward the arctic and antarctic regions.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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