Chapter IV 

 THE WEST GREENLAND SECTOR 



THE SURFACE CURRENTS 



The more critically ocean currents are examined, the more neces- 

 sary it becomes to subclassify them ojeographically ; for example, the 

 East Greenland Current on passing tlirough Denmark Strait is joined 

 by a signihcant branch of the Irminger Current (see Baggesgaard- 

 Rasmussen and Jacobsen, 1930; also Bohnecke, 1931), both streams 

 mero-ing in one parallel flow which so rounds Cape Farewell. Off 

 the southwest coast of Greenland this composite current is further 

 au<nnented by streams converging from the Labrador Sea. By the 



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Figure 7.— The west Greenland sector (1928). Sections are as follows: A. Cape Faie- 

 well : B, Ivigtut : C, Mskernaessett ; D, Godthaab ; E, llolsteinsborg ; Y , Egede&minae , 

 Fi, Disko Bay ; G, Disko Island. 



time it has reached Fylla Bank, west Greenland (as will be proved 

 later by the Coast Guard's observations), the original identifying 

 character belonging to the East Greenland Arctic Current has been 

 completely transformed to current of Atlantic character. It is ob- 

 viously incorrect then to refer to the current throughout the west 

 coast solely as an extension of the East Greenland Current. In order, 

 therefore, to avoid confusion it seems best to designate the current 

 from Cape Farewell northward as the West Greenland Current. A 

 similar procedure has been followed in similar cases wherever the 



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