Figure 134. Distribution of atmospheric pressure over the Arctic Basin 

 in January 1939. 



On my request, Sauskan made some calculations to determine the angle of deflection of the 

 wind from the isobar over the ice of the Laptev Sea. These computations were based on the 

 synoptic charts and on the wind observations made on ships drifting in that sea in 1937. Based on 

 random material (in all, 257 cases were examined), they indicated that the most probable depar- 

 ture of the wind from the isobar was about 35° in an anticyclone situation and about 37° in a 

 cyclone. In the anticyclone situation the most frequent angle of deflection was between 20° and 

 30°, in a cyclone situation between 30° and 40°. 



At the Arctic Institute, Karelin checked the departure of the wind from the isobar against 

 daily synoptic maps. He found the average angle of deflection of the wind from the isobar, 

 (calculated as the arithematic mean of 1,467 observations at arctic meteorological stations), to be 

 24° to the left of the isobar. 



We know that on regular synoptic maps the Isobars are drawn with some consideration of 

 wind direction. Therefore, it was quite proper that the Arctic Institute processed the most 

 reliable ship observations as well as the shore observations. The ship observations did not form 

 part of the regular sjmopcic maps. It was found that the mean angle of deflection of the wind from 



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