History of the Exploration of the Hot Brine Area of the Red Sea: DISCOVERY Account

Abstract

The chief contribution made by the RRS DISCOVERY, in exploring the hot brine pools of the Red Sea, was the delineation in 1964 of a small area (Discovery Deep) within which a brine with a temperature over 44°C was found. In addition, acoustic reflecting layers were observed in mid-water in the brine areas during three passages of the DISCOVERY through the Red Sea. These observations include the first known indication of the layering in Atlantis II Deep, in November 1963, and a layer observed in April 1967 in a small depression to the south of the known brine area not previously described. In this chapter, the circumstances surrounding the DISCOVERY’s observations are narrated, and the observations themselves are outlined.