MARCH 



In March there were sufficient personnel at Argentia to carry out 

 a full program of ice-observation flights. Two such flights were made 

 on 4 March. From these flights the outer limits of drift ice were 

 found to extend from Cape Spear to 47°18' N., 52°15' W., to 48°20' 

 N., 51°29' W., to 48°55' N., 50°0r W., to 49°45' N., 51°30' W. For 

 the remainder of the month the edge of the drift ice oscillated about 

 these limits with the inshore boundary receding to 49°20' N., 53°00' 

 AV., by 31 IMarch. The comparison of these limits with the average 

 limits as set forth in the Ice Atlas (H.O. 550) shows that this season 

 was not following the usual trend. The extreme limits in March were 

 60 to 120 miles north of the average limits and the ice in general was 

 receding northward earlier than was usual. During March the aver- 

 age wind direction of a rectangle centered at 51° N., 51° W., parallel 

 to the Labrador Coast, with dimensions 600 miles by 180 miles, was 

 toward 034° T. with a velocity of 8 knots. There are no data presently 

 available to show the average temperature of the air over water for 

 this month. However, from the experience of personnel stationed at 

 Argentia who flew over these waters, the air seemed to be somewhat 

 warmer than usual. In fact, the spring of 1949 seemed to be com- 

 paratively mild in this area. The effect of this warm average wind 

 moving the ice offshore into warmer waters to where it melted is 

 considered to be a partial explanation of the small amount of ice 

 in the area for the month of March. The normal rate of advance- 

 ment of sea ice carried along by the Labrador Current apparently 

 was more than compensated by this increase in the rate of attri- 

 tion. AAliat few bergs were sighted seemed to bear out this greater 

 rate of disintegration because their above-water surfaces were badly 

 eroded and all bergs seen outside the pack were medium to small 

 sized bergs. The southernmost berg was reported on the 6th at 

 4T°55' K, 50°33' W. 



There was only one berg south of 48° N., during the month of 

 IMarch. During this month 13 ice-observation flights were made. 



APML 



On 3 April an ice observation flight was sent out, but because of 

 fog it returned to Argentia without encountering any ice or radar 

 contacts. Several ships reported radar targets as j)ossible bergs in 

 the vicinity of 4T°55' X., 49°52' W. It was not until the 6th of April 

 that it was possible to send out two flights to cover this area, but no 

 bergs were sighted in a j)Osition that might indicate that they were 

 the previously reported radar targets. Thus it was concluded that 

 such targets were ships drifting in fog. All ice sighted by these 

 flights was north of 48° N., and west of 50°30' W., except one berg 

 sighted on the 6tli at 4T°41' N., 49°02' W. On the 9th another flight 



