SUMMARY OF ICE PATROL, SEASON OF 1922. 



By Lieut. Commander B. M. Chiswell, Senior Officer. 



The ice patrol season began March 20 and ended July 14, 1922. 

 During the months of Apm and June fog prevailed during a large 

 percentage of the time in the vicinity of the Grand Banks of New- 

 foundland and the efforts of the patrol vessels to locate the ber^s 

 and disseminate accurate information concerning them and their 

 movements were seriously handicapped thereby. April began 

 with a fresh NW. gale on the first day, followed by a fresh SE. gale 

 on the 2d, and then by NE. strong breezes to fresh gales until the 

 9th. During this stormy period there were five days of dense fog. 

 From the 19th until the end of the month, SW. winds and continuous 

 thick fog prevailed. Fog prevailed about 50 per cent of the time 

 in April. Ice was sighted by the patrol on April 10, 12, 13, 16, 

 and 18; mostly small bergs and growlers, and all north of the 42d 

 parallel. 



In May, weather conditions were favorable for the work, with 

 mostly westerly winds, reaching gale force on only two days, and 

 with fog prevailing about 25 per cent of the time. Ice conditions 

 were better than normal and only two bergs were located south of 

 the 42d parallel; one large one on the 20th, lat. 41° 40' N., long. 49° 

 00' W., and a small berg and growlers on the 27th, lat. 41° 45' N., 

 long. 48° 50' W. 



In June, from the 1st until the 25th, the prevailing breezes were 

 SW., and fog hung over the colder water of the banks like a blanket, 

 effectively concealing from the patrol the presence and movements 

 of bergs in that area. When the fog finally lifted, many bergs, 

 some of unusually large size, were located between lats. 42 00' N. 

 and 43° 20' N. and longs. 49° 00' W. and 52° 00' W. During June, 

 the southernmost berg, a small one, was sighted on the 21st, lat., 

 41° 28' N., long. 49° 52' W.. and was rapidly disintegratmg. 



From July 1 to 14, on which latter date the patrol was discon- 

 tinued, the prevailing winds were SW., varying from light airs to 

 moderate breezes. Fog was prevalent over the colder water of 

 the Labrador Current, with clear weather over the Gulf Stream. 

 The warm water was pushing its way farther to the northward and 

 spreading over, or forcing back, the Labrador Current. During 

 this period the many bergs sighted during the last week of June 

 melted and disappeared. 



An unusual phenomenon was witnessed during the last days of the 

 patrol. A berg (berg "S," chart "G,") which had drifted to the 

 westward of the Tail of the Bank, suddenly began a rapid move- 

 ment almost due south, and before it finallydisappeared on July 14 

 had reached lat. 41° 05' N., long. 51° 28' W., the farthest south of 

 any berg of the season, so far as authentic records go. The most 

 reasonable explanation for this seemed to be that the Gulf Stream 



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