Depths of the Arctic Ocean

Abstract

A NOTE on some important Soviet flights in the Arctic is contained in the Polar Record of July. In March 1941 Ivan Cherevichni, and four others, flew from Moscow via Archangel, Franz Josef Land and Severnaya Zenalya to their base on Wrangel Island. Thence several flights were made to the north to investigate conditions in the least known area of the Arctic Sea. On the first flight a descent on the pack was made in lat. 81° 2' N., long. 180° E., and for four days hydrographical observations were made. The ocean depth was 1,447 fm. The next flight was to lat. 78° N., long. 176° 40'E., where the depth was 1,015 fm., and the third flight was to lat 78° N., long. 170°E., where the depth was 1,878 fm. In the Cherevichni triangle, made by these three stations, the depths appear to be considerably less than the single sounding of Sir Hubert Wilkins in 1927 in lat. 77° 45'N., long. 175° W., which was 2,830 fm. These discrepancies in depths were not expected in the Arctic Ocean. The physicist in the party found the intermediate layer of warm Atlantic water at all three stations. It will be recalled that this layer, first found by Nansen, was noted by Papanin, of the Soviet drifting polar station, some years ago. It is now fair to assume that it occurs throughout the Arctic basin.