carried along by the proper winds and the Spltzbergen current, runs north along the southwest 

 coast of Spltzbergen sometimes to Icefjord, and beyond. Such ice here bears the name of "southern 

 Ice."* 



Table 114 lists the average long-term (1900 to 1928) areas of clear water in Barents Sea in 

 thousands of square km and in percent of the total sea area (1, 360, 000 square km). 



TABLE 114. AREAS OF CLEAR WATER IN THE SUMMER MONTHS 

 IN THE BARENTS SEA (1900 TO 1928) 



Examining the average monthly positions of the ice-edge (figure 176) we see that they corres- 

 pond well with the relief of the bottom shoal areas, which, other conditions being equal, are regions 

 of ice accxunulation. Here ice formation begins earliest, while melting caused by the heat of the 

 Atlantic water proceeds most slowly because of its slow drift. With the setting in of cold winter, 

 the ice border gradually moves to the south and west, and this process occurs faster over shoal 

 areas than over the deep regions. By April, when the ice borders on the average have reached their 

 most southern and western positions, only the southwest part of the sea with depths over 200 m 

 remains free of ice. By May the border moves slightly to the north and east but is generally simi- 

 lar to the ice border in April. In June the border runs slightly to the north of Bear Island, passes 

 south of the central shoal area and very typically goes around the shoal area at Gusinaya Zemlya 

 from the west. In July, all of Barents Sea south of 75° and 76° north becomes ice-free. In August, 

 the border moves approximately one degree to the north. On the average, the ice border recedes 

 fastest from June to July and its movement north is considerably slower than its movement east and 

 northeast. In other words, it moves faster along the direction of movement of the Norwegian cur- 

 rent than in the regions where the Atlantic water, forming a cyclonic movement, turns to the west. 



It must be noted, however, that such conceptions as the area of clear water or of ice, or a 

 more southerly or more northerly position of the ice edge in the Barents Sea, are extremely rela- 

 tive conceptions and may be used only with definite reservations. It is knovra, for example, that 

 with prolonged north winds (as occur with cyclones which pass to the northeast between Franz 

 Joseph Land and Novaya Zemlya), the edge of Barents Sea ice descends towards the south and in 

 such cases huge expanses of clear water sometimes form between the ice accumulations at the edge 

 and Franz Joseph Land. 



Thus, on 13 May 1936, during the flight of Vodopyanov between Franz Joseph Land and Cap 

 Zhelania, clear water was found to extend for 250 km along the flight course. In June 1937, the 

 Sadko, going towards Franz Joseph Land from the south, came out of the ice at 77° 30' north, 51° 

 20' east and found clear water for more than 270 km. Thus, the area of clear water south of the 



♦Taking into account this southern ice which sometimes flanks Bear Island from the south, I 

 always advise that in sailing from Murmansk to Barentsburg early in the spring, the following 

 should be considered as a guiding rule. Select a course from Murmansk to Bear Island. If ice is 

 met on approaching the island, never enter this ice but skirt it keeping the ice on the right to the 

 latitude of Barentsburg itself (78° north), and only then turn into Barentsburg. 



451 



