62 



IVIARION AND GENERAL GREENE EXPEDITIONS 



FiuuKB 35. — Temperature and salinity profiles across the continental shelf at Cape Fare- 

 well, July 13-14, 1934 



ANNUAL CYCLES 



While there are several years' data with which to trace annual 

 variations of temperature and salinity in the west Greenland sector 

 for summer and early autumn there have been until recently very 

 few surface or subsurface observations collected during other periods 

 of the year essential to learn the annual cycle. The information 

 available now is contained in a section running southward from 

 Cape Farewell. The observations there have been collected at the 

 following times: Meteor, March 1935; Godfhaab, May 1928; and 

 Marion, September 1928. 



A comparison of the vertical distribution of the temperature, 

 salinity, and density off Cape Farew^ell at the end of winter, again 

 the latter part of spring, and finally at the end of summer (fig. 36) 

 indicates that througliout the year cold low-salinity water (east 

 Greenland-Arctic) prevails in the surface layers next to the coast, 

 while farther ofi'shore at deeper levels persists warmer, saltier water 

 (Irminger- Atlantic) . 



The extent to which the system of circulation in the northwestern 

 Xorth Atlantic is affected ty Avintertime conditions has heretofore 

 been speculative. That the West Greenland Current, however, pre- 

 vails throughout the year is apparent from a. comparison of the 

 March to September profiles (fig. 36) one with another. The com- 

 puted volume of the West Greenland Current at Cape Farewell in 



