Thus, according to Smith's computations, a wind of force 6 to 7 will establish a wind current 

 to a depth of 100 m in 1 to 2 days, and the average current at a depth of 40 m will move in a direc- 

 tion 72° to the right of the wind and at a velocity of 5. 3 cm/ sec. 



Below I give a selection from Smith's computations for a wind force of 6 to 7 (table 108). 



TABLE 108. ELEMENTS OF THE WIND DRIFT OF ICEBERGS, WITH A 

 WIND FORCE OF 6 TO 7 



As Kireev points out, the wind factor for vessels standing broadside is almost independent of 

 the wind speed and is 0. 063 for ships drawing <3 m; 0. 056-0. 040 for a ship drawing 3 to 7 m and 

 0. 038-0. 036 for a ship drawing more than 7 m drift. 



Individual floes react differently to the wind. Small floes are quickly set in motion as the 

 wind begins. Large floes, especially deep riding floebergs and icebergs, remain at rest or retain 

 their residual motion for long time intervals. 



Thus, in a wind current, the current action has the following consequences: 



1. The lower the floe rests in the water, the greater the angle of drift of the floe from the 

 wind direction and the surface current. 



2. The smaller the underwater portion of a floe, the greater its drift speed. 



The wind action has the following effect: 



1. The smaller the ice floe is and the smaller the ratio of the underwater part to the total 

 height, the faster the floe will move. 



2. The greater the drift speed of the floe and the greater the wind speed, the smaller the 

 drift angle. 



From these assumptions it follows that the total drift of floes caused by the wind current 

 and the wind is as follows: the greater the underwater portions of the floe are and the greater its 

 size, the slower its drift speed and the greater the drift angle. In other words, the deeper the 

 floe rests in the water and the greater the size of the floe, the more it will be subject to the influ- 

 ence of steady currents and wind currents, and the smaller the underwater portion of the floe and 

 the size of the floe, the greater will be the direct influence of the wind. * 



In examining the actual wind drift of isolated floes, I assumed that the floes were cylindrical 

 with a vertical axis. Now let us assume that scattered floes are elliptical in the horizontal plane. 



*Gordienko has informed me that these simple assumptions have been confirmed by instru- 

 ment observations in the Chuckchee Sea. 



385 



