The Bathymetrical Conditions of the Antarctic Regions Author(s): Henryk Arctowski Source: The Geographical Journal, Vol. 14, No. 1 (Jul., 1899), pp. 77-82 Published by: geographicalj Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1774730 Accessed: 27-06-2016 09:11 UTC

Your use of the JSTOR archive indicates your acceptance of the Terms & Conditions of Use, available at http://about.jstor.org/terms

JSTOR is a not-for-profit service that helps scholars, researchers, and students discover, use, and build upon a wide range of content in a trusted digital archive. We use information technology and tools to increase productivity and facilitate new forms of scholarship. For more information about JSTOR, please contact [email protected].

Wiley, The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers) are collaborating with JSTOR to digitize, preserve and extend access to The Geographical Journal

This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms ( 77 )

THE BATHYMETRICAL CONDITIONS OF THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS.

By HENRYK ARCTOWSKI, of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition.

THE scientific work of the Belgian Antarctic Expedition was commenced in the channels of Tierra del Fuego, and after the vessel left the pack they were concluded at Punta Arenas. It is thus impossible to discuss the physical geography of the antarctic regions in general without including the scientific results of the expedition of the Belgica. The works of Murray, Neumayer, Fricker, and others,* give a general account of the state of our knowledge of the antarctic regions, and therefore I prefer to give in a series of articles a short summary of the results obtained by the Belgian Antarctic Expedition from the point of view of oceanography, geology, meteorology, and ice-conditions. The Belgica had the advantage of navigating a region in which no previous bathymetric researches had been made, and her soundings have a special value (although their actual number was not great) because they were not taken at random. On the voyage from Staten island to the South Shetlands, a line of soundings was run nearly from north to south, giving a transverse section of the "antarctic channel" which separates the Andes from one of the projecting angles of Murray's hypo- thetical antarctic continent. In another place also, beyond the antarctic circle, and to the west of Alexander I. Land, we were able to obtain a series of soundings, some before entering the ice, the others on account of the drift of the vessel when imprisoned in the pack. The soundings on our way southward are given in the Table as Nos. 1 to 9, and those taken between 70? and 107? W. as Nos. 10 to 56, while the results are represented cartographically in the two maps. The first map shows the probable arrangement of the depths to the south of Cape Horn and in the antarctic regions. Soundings Nos. 1, 2, and 3 prove that south of Staten island the continental shelf is very narrow, and terminates seaward in an abrupt slope, the greatest depth sounded (2209 fathoms) lying, in fact, very near the island. To the east,

* G. Neumayer, 'Die Erforschung des Sld-Polar Gebietes.' Berlin: 1872. " Ueber Siidpolarforschung" ('Report of the Sixth International Geographical Congress, London, 1895'). Sir John Murray, "The Renewal of Antarctic Exploration" (Geogr. Journal, January, 1894); and the " Narrative " of the Challenger Reports. K. Fricker, ' Entstehung und Verbreitung des Antarktischen Treibeises.' Leipzig: 1893. K. Fricker, 'Antarktis.' Berlin: 1898. For bibliography, see T. Chavanne, ' Die Literatur ilber die Polar-Regionen der Erde' (Wien: 1878); and the 'Antarctic Number' of the Scottish Geographical Magazine (October, 1898).

This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 78 THE BATHYMETRICAL CONDITIONS OF THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS. on the contrary, the continental shelf extends to a great distance as Burdwood bank. Between the southern versant of the Andes and the mountain system forming the framework of the antarctic lands visited by the expedition, there lies a deep, flat-bottomed depression, the floor of

THE ANTARCTIC STRAIT which rises gently towards the south, and not far from the South Shetlands an abrupt slope leads up to the rocky shallows near Living- stone island. The last sounding taken gave a depth of 2625 fathoms in 56? 28' S., and 84? 46' W., proving that the depth increases towards the Pacific ocean. As, on the contrary, the Sandwich group, South

This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms SOUNDINGS IN THE PACK ( Soundings in fathoms)

24o, 28 28 5 238 ,23B a,300', "'oo : OA __I290 !\

2/0

This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 80 THE BATHYMETRICAL CONDITIONS OF THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS.

Georgia, and Shag rocks lie to the east, it seems probable that this great basin (called Barker basin on the chart in the Challenger Reports) does not extend to the east of these islands. In a note on the interest which attaches to the geological exploration of the lands in the far south, which I published in December, 1895,* I suggested that " Graham Land is connected with Patagonia by a submarine ridge, which forms a great arc extending between Cape Horn and the South Shetland islands, and that the tertiary chain of the Andes reappears in Graham Land." I maintain this hypothesis, which demands for its satisfactory demonstration, not only the geological study of the land, but also and

now been made. The second map, showing soundings in the pack, is on a larger scale than the first, and shows the distribution of the soundings to the west towardsof the land, the ocean,and within htmetrical the antarctic map. The circle. first stepIt clearly to this demonstrates end further the presence of a continental shelf. The section along the line AB is figuraTheextremely seond characteristic,map,of this submarings showing in the elevation,distinctly s one thatmight the imagine submarine it to bea larger slope sale fromthanis discontinuous. the rst, and The shows submerged the distriupon bank, it, forwhich the soundingsterminates are notabruptly numerous oftowards the land, the this ocean, to be done has profitably.rctic depths of from circle. 300I cannot to 200refrain fathoms, from callingrly and further deonstrates south the depths are probably still less. I shall not discuss the con- figuration of this submarine elevation, as one might imagine it to be from the soundings taken upon it, for the soundings are not numerous enough for this to be done profitably. But I cannot refrain from calling

* Bull. Soc. Geol. de France, [3], xxiii. p. 589.

This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms THE BATHYMETRICAL CONDITIONS OF THE ANTARCTIC REGIONS. 81 attention to one point which seems to me of great importance. The edge of the plateau is indicated by the isobath of 300 fathoms, beyond which the depths increase very rapidly. Now, it is the 100-fathom line which is generally accepted as the limit of the continental shelf, and it would appear possible that in the antarctic regions the conti- nental shelf had been submerged. The discussion of this interesting question would, however, lead us too far. It is noteworthy that the soundings carried out by the Erebus and Terror to the east of Victoria Land and north of the ice-barrier discovered by Ross, also indicate the existence of a continental shelf with much greater depths to the north. Between the two there still remains a space of 60? of longitude to explore before one can say whether they are connected. All the positions were fixed by M3. Lecointe, and I am indebted to the kindness of this accomplished astronomer for the exact place of each sounding. The sounding-machine of the Belgica was con- structed by Le Blanc at Paris, and is similar to that employed on the Pola by the Austrian expedition. During the wintering in the ice, IM. de Gerlache had a simple but effective arrangement constructed on board, which was fitted up on the ice close to the ship, and only required a hole to be cut in order to allow a sounding to be made. It consisted of a wooden drum carrying the sounding-wire, a brake con- sisting of a cord and a strong piece of wood serving as a lever to regulate the descent of the weight, and two cranks on the axle of the drum to heave in the wire. A wheel of one metre in circumference, with a counter from the Le Blanc machine, allowed the depth to be read off. The line ran through a block attached by a dynamometer to three poles arranged as a tripod. The soundings and temperature observations were laborious, and it is due to the co-operation of MM. Amundsen, Tolewsen, Johansen, Melaerts, Vanrysselbergh, and of 1MI. de Gerlache himself that it has been made possible for me to write these notes on the bathymetrical conditions of the antarctic regions.

TABLE OF SOUNDINGS.

Date. iepth in metres. Fathoms. Latitude. Longitude W. No.

1898. o Jan. 14 296 162 54 51 63 37 1 ,, 14 1564 855 55 3 63 29 2 ,, 15 4040 2209 55 51 63 19 3 ,, 16 3850 2105 56 49 64 30 4 ,, 18 3800 2078 59 58 63 12 5 , 19 3690 2018 61 5 63 4 6 ,20 2900 1586 62 2 61 58 7 ,, 20 1880 1028 62 11 61 37 8 ,28 625 342 64 23 62 2 9 Feb. 16 135 74 67 59 70 40 10 19 480 262 69 6 78 21 11 No. I.-JULY, 1899.] G

This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms 82 THE OXFORD SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY.

Date. imDepth Dt. iinmetres. Fathoms. Latitude. Longitude W. No.

1898. o Feb.23 565 309 69 46 81 8 12 ,, 24 510 279 1 69 31 81 31 1:3 ,, 25 2700 1476 69 17 82 25 14 ,, 27 2600 1422 69 24 84 39 15 , 27 1730 946 69 41 84 43 16 Mar. 1 570 312 71 6 85 23 17 , 1 520 284 71 17 85 43 18 ,, 2 460 251 71 31 85 16 19 ,, 4 530 290 71 22 84 55 20 ,, 5 520 284 71 19 85 29 21 9 554 303 71 23 85 33 22 ,, 20 390 213 71 35 88 2 23 April 22 480 262 71 2 92 3 24 , 26 410 224 70 50 92 22 25 May 4 1150 629 70 33 89 22 26 20 435 238 71 16 87 38 27 ,, 26 436 238 71 13 87 44 28 Sept. 2 502 274 70 0 82 45 29 ,, 9 510 279 69 51 82 36 30 ,, 14 480 262 69 53 83 4 31 , 22 485 265 70 23 82 31 32 , 26 485 265 70 21 82 52 33 , 29 480 262 70 21 82 39 34 Oct. 7 480 262 70 30 82 48 35 ,, 16 532 291 69 59 80 54 36 ,, 19 580 317 70 1 81 45 37 ,, 24 537 294 69 43 80 51 38 Nov. 2 518 283 69 51 81 24 39 ,, 10 490 268 70 9 82 35 40 ,, 28 459 251 70 20 83 23 41 Dec. 20 569 311 70 15 84 6 42 ,, 22 645 253 70 19 84 51 43 ,, 27 630 344 70 20 85 52 44 ,, 29 660 361 70 15 85 51 45 ,, 31 950 519 70 1 85 20 46 1899. Jan. 2 1360 744 69 52 85 13 47 , 4 1470 804 69 50 85 12 48 ,, 7 1490 815 69 52 85 32 49 Feb. 10 1166 638 70 31 93 17 50 ,, 19 1740 951 70 30 94 12 51 Mar. 2 430 235 70 53 97 17 52 ,, 5 425 232 70 51 97 57 53 ,, 12 564 308 70 56 100 18 54 ,, 13 1195 653 70 50 102 14 55 ,, 23 4800 2625 56 28 84 46 56

THE OXFORD SCHOOL OF GEOGRAPHY. FOR some time past there have been negotiations between the Society and the University of Oxford, with a view to the establishment there of a fully equipped school or institute of geography, which would supply a complete training in all departments of geography, not only to Oxford graduates and undergraduates, but to others who desired to avail themselves of such an opportunity. These negotiations have

This content downloaded from 131.247.112.3 on Mon, 27 Jun 2016 09:11:37 UTC All use subject to http://about.jstor.org/terms