Ледяной сфинкс
Chapter XIII. Along the Front of the Icebergs
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“Doyounotbelievethatsuchaseaexists?”
“Yes,Idobelievethatitexists,andforvalidreasons.Infact,itisperfectlymanifestthatthesemasses,calledicebergsandice-fields,couldnotbeformedintheoceanitself.Itisthetremendousandirresistibleactionofthesurgewhichdetachesthemfromthecontinentsorislandsofthehighlatitudes.Thenthecurrentscarrythemintolesscoldwaters,wheretheiredgesarewornbythewaves,whilethetemperaturedisintegratestheirbasesandtheirsides,whicharesubjectedtothermometricinfluences.”
“Thatseemsveryplain,”Ireplied.“Thenthesemasseshavecomefromtheicebergs.(1)Theyclashwiththemindrifting,sometimesbreakintothemainbody,andcleartheirpassagethrough.Again,wemustnotjudgethesouthernbythenorthernzone.Theconditionsarenotidentical.CookhasrecordedthathenevermettheequivalentoftheAntarcticicemountainsintheGreenlandseas,evenatahigherlatitude.”
“Whatisthereason?”Iasked.
“Nodoubtthattheinfluenceofthesouthwindsispredominantinthenorthernregions.Now,thosewindsdonotreachthenorthernregionsuntiltheyhavebeenheatedintheirpassageoverAmerica,Asia,andEurope,andtheycontributetoraisethetemperatureoftheatmosphere.Thenearestland,endinginthepointsoftheCapeofGoodHope,Patagonia,andTasmania,doesnotmodifytheatmosphericcurrents.”
“Thatisanimportantobservation,captain,anditjustifiesyouropinionwithregardtoanopensea.
