Drift bottle

Made:
1890-1960
Drift bottle

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Drift bottle
Science Museum Group
© The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum

Drift bottle, type used from 1890-1960, for studying ocean surface currents.

For thousands of years, people have used the movements of objects floating on the surface of the ocean as a way of understanding ocean currents. Bottles like this were adopted by scientists in the 1800s, who would release them into the sea in known locations. They carried a message inside encouraging anyone who found them to break the glass, so that information could be reported back to the researchers.

Details

Category:
Oceanography
Object Number:
1977-29
Materials:
glass, metal (unknown) and paper (fibre product)
type:
apparatus and current meters current meters apparatus and current meters
credit:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food