Figure 176. Average monthly positions of ice edge for five summer months 

 (April to August) in the Greenland and Barents Seas . 



The relatively great ice accumulations (ice massifs) in the northwestern parts of the Green- 

 land and Barents Seas and the more or less broad expanses of clear water in the southeastern parts 

 are characteristic of the adjacent seas of the northern hemisphere caused by the cyclonic movement 

 of surface water which is usual in the northern hemisphere. This is due not only to the warm 

 Atlantic water pouring into these basins from the south, as occurs in the Greenland and Barents 

 Seas, but also to the fact that in the southern parts of the adjacent seas the melting of ice and 

 heating of water is more intensive. 



The cyclonic movement of surface water and the effect of the Coriolis force is seen also in 

 the fact that along the southern and eastern shores of straits there is usually found an absence of 

 ice or a considerably lesser amount than along the western and northern shores . 



Sometimes the effect of sea currents is felt in a different manner. Most typical in this 

 respect is the so-called "northern water" of Baffin Bay. Sailing into the northern part of this bay 

 in the summer, very often after several days or even weeks of struggling with the ice, a large 

 expanse of clear water opens up, extending almost to Smith Sound. Smith gave the correct explana- 

 tion of this phenomenon: A rather swift current runs south from the straits, but this cannot break 

 up the massive fast ice which forms in the sound proper. However, all the ice which forms south 

 of the sound during the winter is carried south by this current until it runs into the ice in the central 

 part of the bay. 



Thus, due to the effect of sea currents, ice-free regions may sometimes be located at higher 

 latitudes than ice regions. Thus, for example, the ocean area along the coast of Newfoundland 

 (46° north), where icebergs are usually found throughout the entire year, must be considered a 

 region of sub-polar ice abundance. On the other hand, the eastern part of the Greenland Sea, where 

 due to the effect of the warm Spitzbergen current ice is only occasionally found at any time of the 

 year right up to 80° north, must be considered an ice free region. 



The example cited is not unique. Even in various regions of the same sea we sometimes find 

 different types of ice abundance. Barents Sea is a typical example in this respect: The region of 

 the sea south of 75° north and west of 40° east approximately, is an ice-free region; the region 



446 



