PHYSICAL OCKANOGEAPHY OF THE GULF OF MAINE 



861 



current measurements were taken." Mayor (1922, p. 109) has already emphasized 

 the inward movement thus indicated around Nova Scotia and so into the eastern 

 side of the Gulf of Maine. The drift to the westward past Cape Sable is shown to 

 be irregular, however, and perhaps intermittent, for a very rapid dominant drift 

 toward the west of about 12 miles per day, at Dawson's station R in the ofRng of 

 Cape Sable, contrasts with contrary and much weaker resultant currents at two local- 

 ities nearby (Dawson's stations P and Q). In the same way the water in the offing 

 of Shelburne was setting strongly in toward the shore on June 25 to 29, 1907, showed 

 no dominant drift in any direction at a neighboring station two weeks later, ^^ but 

 was drifting toward the southwest at a rate of about 8 miles per day on July 27 to 

 28, 1914 (Bigelow, 1917, p. 203, station 10231; current measurements at 6 meters 

 depth with Ekman current meter). 



The most that can be said is that the current arrows show some movement to 

 the westward past the cape at times during the summer. 



The general tendency northward along the western shores of Nova Scotia, toward 

 the Bay of Fundy, is decidedly impressive, because not one of the arrows, as calcu- 

 lated from Dawson's tables (1908), runs counter to this rule, the only exceptions 

 being two (his stations L and M), which point almost directly in toward the land. 

 The arrows also show the water drifting into the Bay of Fundy along its southern 

 (Nova Scotian) side, then turning northward toward New Brunswick and out again 

 to the eastward and southward of Grand Manan. In the channel on the northern 

 side of the latter, however, the water has been found to set inward toward the Bay 

 of Fundy, suggesting a clockwise circulation around Grand Manan, which corrobo- 

 rates the local report that the flood current predominates over the ebb along the 

 eastern part of the coast of Maine (Coast Pilot). 



It is unfortunate that no measurements of currents are available for any points 

 between the Bay of Fundy, on the east, and Portland lightship, to the west, for the 

 tides run strong along this sector of the coast line. 



At Portland lightship the currents are weak but slightly rotary (United States 

 Coast and Geodetic Survey, 1923, p. 69). 



The Coast and Geodetic Survey has supplied the following statement of the 

 dominant (nontidal) set for several 29-day series at this location (lat. 43° 31' 30," 

 long. 70° 05' 38"). 



Duration of series 



Oct. 3-31, 1913- 



Nov. 1-29. 1913 _., 



Nov. 30-Dec. 28, 1913., 

 June 1-29, 1919 



Rate per 

 day (24 

 hours) 

 in miles 



11.3 

 4.3 



Direction 



S. 67° W. 

 S. 31° E. 

 S. 11° W. 

 S. 36° W. 



Duration of series 



July 1-29, 1919.. 

 Aug. 1-29, 1919.. 

 Sept. 1-29, 1919. 

 Oct. 1-29, 1919.. 



Rate per 

 day (24 

 hours) 

 in miles 



2.4 

 2.2 

 ..1 

 1.7 



Direction 



N. 62° E. 

 S. 74° W. 

 N. 47° E. 

 N. 58°B. 



"So far as I have been able to learn, the only winter measurements made in the Gulf of Maine have been at Nantuclcet 

 Shoals Lightship and one Albatross station off Gloucester (station 20051, p. 857). 



" The resultant drifts for these two stations (Dawson, 1905 and 1908, statations S and T) are talien from Mayor's chart (1922, 

 PI. IV). 



37755—27 23 



