DAVIS STRAIT AND LABRADOR SEA 173 



EXCHANGE OF WATER IN BAmN BAY 



Tlie volumes of flow derived from velocity profiles and described in 

 chapters IV, V, and VI are represented schematically in figure 131. 

 These investigations require certain conclusions which not only sup- 

 port the picture of the circulation which is represented here but offer 

 opportunity of estimating the exchange of water in Baffin Bay. It 

 was found that in 1928 aboutl.O million cubic meters per second was 

 being contributed to Baffin Bay by the West Greenland Current at 

 Davis Strait. The southward flow of the Baffin Land Current 

 amounted to about 2.0 million cubic meters per second, thus indicat- 

 ing that the net contribution to Baffin Bay through Smith, Jones, and 

 Lancaster Sounds was about 1 million cubic meters per second subject 

 to correction for precipitation and evaporation. 



EXCHANGE OF WATER, LABRADOR SEA 



Similarly the inflow to and outflow from the Labrador Sea may 

 be balanced as follows: 



Inflow : mVs X 10-« 



West Greenland Current (average Cape Farewell) 5.0 



Baffin Land Current 2.0 



Hudson Bay discharge (net) 0.5 



Total 7.5 



Outflow : 



West Greenland Current to BaflSn Bay 1.0 



Labrador Current (average South Wolf Id.) 4.6 



Total 5. 6 



The fact that a j)art of the "West Greenland Current is contributed 

 to and included in the listed volume of the Labrador Current does not 

 affect the above totals. Neglecting evaporation and precipitation, 

 then, the above totals indicated an unbalanced excess of inflow over 

 outflow of about 1.9 million cubic meters per second. Tlie foregoing 

 strongly suggests that about 1.9 million cubic meters per second of 

 West Greenland Current sinks into depths below 1,500 meters (the 

 reference surface of the dynamic computations) and eventually flows 

 out of the Labrador Sea at deeper levels into the North Atlantic, 

 thus maintaining a quantitatively balanced system of circulation. 



EXCHANGES OF HEAT IN LABRADOR SEA 



In the summer of 1928 the heat transported to the Labrador Sea 

 by currents was as follows: 



°CmVs X 10-6 



West Greenland Current off Cape Farewell 17. 5 



Baffin Land Current at Davis Strait — 1.2 



Hudson Bay discharge (net) 0.5 



Total 16.8 



while the current-borne heat leaving the Labrador Sea was — 



West Greenland Current to Baffin Bay 0.5 



Labrador Current 14. 6 



Total 15.1 



