OCEAN CURRENTS RELATED TO THE DISTRIBUTION OF AAASS 1 1 1 



An example of the practical application of the methods is presented by 

 the work of the International Ice Patrol, which is conducted by the U. S. 

 Coast Guard. Oceanographic work off the Grand Banks of Newfound- 

 land is carried out by a vessel of the U. S. Coast Guard in March and 

 April, and on the basis of the observed temperatures and salinities 

 between the surface and a depth of 1000 m the geopotential topography 



Fig. 26. Leji: Observed temperatures and salinities in the Straits of Florida. 

 Right: Velocities of the current through the Straits according to direct measurements 

 and according to computations based on the distributions of temperature and salinity 

 (after Wiist). 



of the surface relative to the 1000-decibar surface is computed. Assum- 

 ing that the flow follows the contour lines, the direction and speed of 

 drifting icebergs are computed and warnings are issued to shipping. The 

 method has proved sufficiently successful to warrant the extensive work 

 year after year. In other regions in which computed currents have been 

 compared to surface currents that have been derived from ship's obser- 

 vations or from the results of experiments with drift bottles, satisfactory 



