INTERNATIONAL ICE OBSERVATION AND ICE PATROL SERVICE. 91 

 PROFILE NO. 12. STATIONS 217-222. 



This section runs from station "C" (sec chart "A") eastward into 

 deep water. It was occupied May 23-24. 



Salinii]/. — The niost easterly station is occupied by a column of 

 Atlantic water, extending west at the 50-nieter level to station 221. 

 A core of >3o.O "/oo salinity water is also present at the 150-meter 

 depth, station 220. Slope water occupies station 217. Bank water 

 lies as a surface sheet over the bank, with water Salter than 33.0 "/oo 

 on the bottom. 



Temperature. — A surface layer > 10° C, 100 meters thick, lies at 

 the ofl'shore station, 222. Again, a trace of it is noted at the 50- 

 meter level, station 220. The shaded area of water colder than 1° C. 

 is evidence of the Labrador Current flowing along the east slope of 

 the bank and seeping in over the bottom. 



A comparison with Profile No. 8, run three weeks earlier, shows that 

 the Labrador Current had increased in volume during the latter part 

 of May. The Gulf Stream also is more evident, especially in the 

 salinity profile. Interdigitation of the salt Gulf Stream with the 

 fresher slope water is noticeable, but not to such an extent as during 

 the first part of the month. 



PROFILE NO. 13. STATIONS 233 TO 229. 



This section runs south from station " C" (see Chart "A") into deep 

 water. It was occupied June 2-7. 



Salinity. — The oft'shore stations, 232 and 233, are flooded by a 

 column of Atlantic water >35.0 "/oo salinity, which has moved north- 

 ward closer to the Tail of the Bank than hitherto observed. Slope 

 water is found at the intermediate stations; in on the bank, the 

 freshest water of the profile, i. e., 33.0 °/„„ from surface to bottom. 



I'emperature.— Water warmer than 10° C. extends downward at the 

 outer station to 315 meters (170 fathoms) and at station 232 to 150 

 meters. This is the highest temperature we have yet observed. A 

 bulge of negative temperature water li^fe on the steep grade of the 

 slope with a minimum of — 1.3° C. at 125 meters at station 230, and 

 — 0.6° C. in and on the bottom of the bank. Undeniably this is pure 

 Labrador Current flowing around the Tail of the Great Bank. But 

 the low salinity in the bottom layer over the bank proves that the 

 polar water which spread in over the bottom at an earlier date had 

 freshened, through tidal mixing with the bank water it met there. 

 Surface solar warming is becoming more pronounced as the season 

 advances. 



A comparison with profiles of the same section taken April 11 and 

 May 5 shows that the Gulf Stream has advanced northward con- 

 siderably and also increased in volume. The Arctic current is re- 

 stricted to the slope and to the bottom of the bank, though so 

 markedly distinct in outline as to show that it has considerable 

 velocity. 



29150—23-^7 



