WATER MASSES AND CURRENTS OF THE OCEANS 



177 



fluctuations are not known, nor is it known whether these fluctuations 

 are periodic in character, and the same appUes to fluctuations which 

 occur in other regions of well-defined currents. 



The Labrador Sea and Baffin Bay. The surface currents of the 

 Labrador Sea are shown in fig. 45. The outstanding features are the 

 West Greenland Current, which flows north along the west coast of Green- 

 land, and the Labrador Current, which flows south off the coast of 

 Labrador. Part of the West Greenland Current turns around when 

 approaching Davis Strait and 

 joins the Labrador Current, 

 whereas part continues into 

 Baffin Bay, where it rapidly 

 loses its character as a warm 

 current. Along the west side 

 of Baffin Bay the Arctic water 

 flows south, having been 

 partly reenforced by currents 

 carrying Arctic water through 

 the sounds between the islands 

 to the w^est of Greenland. 

 The central areas of the Lab- 

 rador Sea and Baffin Bay both 

 appear as areas in which nu- 

 merous eddies occur, but noth- 

 ing is known as to the 

 permanency of the details 

 shown in the picture. The 

 similarity between the Labra- 

 dor Sea and the Norwegian Sea 

 is striking, but it should be 



Fig. 45. Schematic representation of the 

 surface currents in the Labrador Sea. 



emphasized that, whereas the Norwegian Sea is in communication with the 

 Atlantic Ocean in the upper 600 m only, so that the deep water is shut 

 off, the Labrador Sea is in communication with the Atlantic at all depths, 

 and the deep water can flow freely to the south. 



According to Smith, Soule, and Mosby the inflow in the Labrador 

 Sea amounts to 7.5 million m^/sec, and the outflow along the coast of 

 Labrador amounts to 5.6 million mVsec, both values referring to flow 

 above a depth of 1500 m. From these figures. Smith et al conclude that 

 approximately L9 million m^/sec sink and flow out from the Labrador 

 Sea as deep water. This flow to the south has an important bearing 

 on the entire deep-sea circulation of the Atlantic Ocean, as will be shown 

 later. 



The Mediterranean and the Black Sea. The exchange of water 

 between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean takes place 



