Oceanographic Conditions in Kennedy Channel, Kane Basin, 

 Smith Sound, and Upper Baffin Bay, Summer 1963 



By Alfred P. Franceschetti 



In addition to the CGC Evergreen's normal post- 

 season survey, which consists of a triangular 29- 

 station survey off Cape Bonavista, Newfoundland, 

 and a 24-station section between South Wolf Is- 

 land, Labrador, and Cape Farewell, Greenland, 

 Evergreen collected oceanographic data in Ken- 

 nedy Channel, Kane Basin, Smith Sound, and 

 upper Baffin Bay. 



The survey was conducted at the request of the 

 Office of Naval Research whereby the Coast Guard 

 furnished the oceanographic team and facilities of 

 Evergreen. Ice Island "WH-5 had been blocking 

 Kennedy Channel since the previous winter, which 

 resulted in the surveyed areas being completely ice 

 free with the exception of a few bergs along both 

 shores. There are no records of a similar situation 

 having occurred previous to the summer of 1963, 

 although the area had been occasionally navigable 

 with difficulty in the past by ice breakers. Figure 

 1 shows Evergreen's track in this area. 



At the conclusion of the Labrador Sea section off 

 Cape Farewell, Greenland, Evergreen, under the 

 command of CDR C. S. Changaris, USCG, set 

 course for Thule, Greenland, arriving on 25 July. 

 After a 2-day layover in Thule during which time 

 plans were made for the forthcoming survey, sup- 

 plies were taken aboard and the three additional 

 'civilian scientists sponsored by ONR boarded. 

 Evergreen left for Smith Sound to moor three 

 toroidal buoys with Richardson current meters, 

 anemometers, and radio beacons. The moorings 

 were accomplished on 28 July between Cape Hath- 

 erton, Greenland, and Cape Herschel, Ellesmere 

 Island. Because the ice island blocking Kennedy 

 Channel had shifted and broken loose between 2-i 

 July and 26 July and was drifting south in three 

 pieces, it was decided to conduct the section across 

 Kane Basin from ('ape Louis Napoleon, Ellesmere 

 Island, to Cape Russell, Greenland first, in the 

 event that the polar pack ice moved rapidly south. 



The section across Kane Basin was begun on 28 

 July with station 8750 and was completed on 29 

 July. Evergreen then proceeded to the lower part 

 of Kennedy Channel and took five oceanographic 

 stations south of the descending pack ice in a line 

 from Cape Madison, Greenland, to Collinson, 

 Ellesmere Island. All were accomplished on 29 

 July. Evergreen then proceeded in a southwest- 

 erly direction taking an oceanographic station in 

 the deepest part of the Kane Basin Channel off 

 Cape Frazer, Ellesmere Island, and two stations 

 between the Kane Basin section and Smith Sound 

 section, also in the deepest part of the channel ar- 

 rived at Cape Hatherton on 30 July. The same 

 day a section consisting of six oceanographic sta- 

 tions was occupied across Smith Sound on a line 

 parallel to the three oceanographic moorings. 



The weather was deteriorating rapidly by the 

 time Evergreen reached Cape Herschel, Ellesmere 

 Island, so it was decided to haul aboard the cur- 

 rent meter moorings. They were hauled in on 31 

 July whereupon Evergreen began an eight station 

 grid of the lower Smith Sound and upper Baffin 

 Bay area. By the time the fifth station was com- 

 pleted off Murchison Sound the weather had de- 

 teriorated to the point where it seemed prudent 

 to return to Thule until the weather abated. Sev- 

 eral hours away from Thule, the weather moder- 

 ated and Evergreen returned to the location of the 

 sixth station, off Whale Sound, and resumed taking 

 oceanographic stations on 1 August. The last sta- 

 tion of the grid was completed off Cape Comber- 

 mere, Ellesmere Island, near Glacier Strait. Ev- 

 ergreen then started a section of 10 oceanographic 

 stations which was completed at Cape Atholl, 

 Greenland, on 2 August. The Evergreen then re- 

 turned to Thule and after a 2-day layover, de- 

 parted on 4 August for upper Baffin Bay. Here 

 three oceanographic stations were taken at bot- 

 tom contours of 1,000, 1,500, and 2,000 meters. The 



