264 



Ice in the Sea 



southernmost parts in ice-poor years and frequently, even in the summer, there is a 

 broad belt of drift ice off the south-west coast (Julinaehaab), although the fiords are 

 completely ice-free. 



Iceland is usually entirely ice-free, but during steady northerly winds ice may be 

 driven against the north-west coast, drifting then along the northern coast towards 

 the east where, in unfavourable years, this ice may be united with the drift ice moving 

 towards the south-east in the East Iceland Current. The north coast of Iceland is then 

 partly or entirely blocked by the ice. The probability of ice occurrence off the coast of 

 Iceland is not small, as Table 100 shows (Meinardus, 1906; Brooks and Quennel, 

 1928), The maximum ice season around Iceland is in early spring (March and April). 

 At this time ice is observed about every second year off the coast and usually remains 

 there nearly a full month. 



t Maximum 



The entrance into the Davis Strait and into Baffin Bay is completely blocked from 

 October to November ; however, beginning in April the eastern part of the northern 

 Baffin Sea becomes ice-free in the east. In the central parts an ice-free area forms al- 

 ready in May, growing in extent during the following month and joining with the open 

 water on the eastern side during July. This phenomenon is due to currents carrying 

 warmer Atlantic water into the Baffin Bay weakening and breaking up the ice fields 

 from beneath. Another further peculiarity is the formation of the "middle pack" a 

 mass of ice surrounded by open water that still occurs in the western part of Baffin 

 Bay during August and September, 



The drift of pack ice along the coasts of Labrador and Newfoundland begins in late 

 autumn (October and November), and reaches the northern parts of the Grand Banks 

 of Newfoundland in January or, at the latest, in February. The ice fields reach their 

 greatest extent, though not their greatest intensity, during April and the ice limit then 

 begins to retreat. Figure 1 19, according to Huntsman (1930), presents the extent of the 

 pack ice south of Newfoundland and shows clearly the position of the main ice- 

 fields relative to the Labrador current system and to the Gulf Stream flowing farther 

 south. 



Mecking (1906, 1907) made a detailed investigation of the dependence of the ice 

 drift from the Baffin Bay on currents and weather. Table 101 shows mean values for 

 a period of 1 8 years of the monthly amount of ice presented as a percentage of the 

 annual amount of ice in the area of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland. 



The season with ice fields lasts from January to about the middle of July ; then it 

 ends rapidly in August, when rapid melting due to higher air and water temperatures 

 occurs. The secondary maximum in May is due to the icebergs, which are also at a 

 maximum at this time (Fig. 1 20). 



