Abstract:
Because of general interest in the subject of vertical oscillations in the sea and because
such information is scanty for the ocean basins, an investigation of the question
in the western North Atlantic was initiated by the establishment of "Atlantis" station
2639, July 9 to 13, 1936.
The significance of vertical oscillations in the sea has been known from the earlier
work of Helland-Hansen and Nansen, and, in 1926, these authors summarized their conception
of the problem as follows: "By earlier investigations we have found that there
are probably considerable vertical oscillations of the water layers in various regions of
the ocean. Hence the occasional vertical series of observations cannot be expected always
to represent the average conditions at any particular station. It is therefore of great importance
for the discussion of the general conditions in a sea-area on the basis of the
observations made, to study how far these actual observations at the different stations
and different depths may be regarded as representative." Also, in this same paper we
find the statements: "It has already been mentioned that the oscillations described have
obviously to a great extent some connection with the tides; but how the tidal wave can
produce vertical movements of such dimensions in the different strata of the sea seems
to us at present to be inexplicable. We have here a phenomena of fundamental importance
to oceanography, which has to be made the subject of special methodical investigations."
