68 MARION AND GENERAL GREENE EXPEDITIONS 



tempted, it was immediately perceived, moreover, that the dynamic 

 values of adjacent stations not in the same section exhibited undue 

 irregularities. Similar conditions appearing at the 500 meter level 

 (a depth beyond the seasonal influence in this type of water), indi- 

 cated that errors were probably introduced by incorrect assumptions 

 as to the distribution of anomaly of specific volume. It must be 

 admitted, however, that the time embraced by the observations taken 

 by three separate expenditions easily affords opportunity for both 

 seasonal and secular changes of considerable magnitude, and it 

 must be realized that in a waterway, such as Davis Strait, wide and 

 rapid fluctuations are to be expected. Consequently the dynamic 

 topographic maps shown here can present only the outstanding fea- 

 tures of circulation through the strait. 



The most striking feature as shown on figure 39 is the vigorous 

 south-flowing band which dominates the western side of the strait, 

 penetrating downward there more than 500 meters — the so-called 

 Baffin Land Current. This stream was widest and most rapid at the 

 surface, showing a maximum calculated velocity of 26 centimeters 

 per second (12.5 miles per day) over the slope between Cape Kater 

 and Cape Dier. The velocity decreased inversely with the depth, a 

 velocity of 6 centimeters per second (2.9 miles per day) being re- 

 corded at the 500-meter level. 



The eastern side of Davis Strait, figure 39, shows a weak but 

 widespread drift of water northward. From the surface down to the 

 200-meter level this movement was given continuity by narrow bands 

 of more rapid current which reflected the outline of the west Green- 

 land banks in this sector. The northerly set in the surface layers 

 constituted importations to many coastal estuaries and to Disko Bay 

 where the indraft along the Egedesminde shore partially compen- 

 sated for the discharge past Godhavn. 



Below 200 meters (see 500 meters, fig. 39), northerly current 

 filled the eastern half of the Davis Strait Channel and continued 

 northward into Baffin Bay. The current at the 500-meter level with 

 a mean velocity of approximately 3 centimeters per second (1.5 miles 

 per day) , according to figure 39, appeared stronger and more endur- 

 ing than the similarly directed movement in tlie upper layers. The 

 fact that this current at 500 meters was composed of water much 

 warmer and more saline than its surroundings (see figs. 42 and 44) 

 positively identifies it as that part of the West Greenland Current 

 which had continued farthest northward along the Greenland slope. 

 It is our conjecture that this current represents the main source of 

 supply of the well-known warm intermediate layer of Baffin Bay and 

 partially compensates for the discharge of the Baffin Land Current in 

 the west. 



The eddies and swirls noted at every one of the levels of the Davis 

 Strait Channel (fig. 39) are believed characteristic features of the 

 circulation which continually develop as a result of the mixing along 

 tlie margins of dissimilar types of water. 



Many Disko Bay icebergs (mostly from Jacobshavn and Torsuka- 

 tak glaciers) as previously pointed out (p. 36) are borne out of the 

 bay in the discharge which hugs the Disko Island slope. (See sur- 

 face current map, fig. 39, and velocity profile Fi, fig. 11.) The 



