Snow cover is usually light, U to 8 Inches with drifts of 12 to 18 

 inches. 



The pack ice of Melville Bugt is seldom immobile. In February and 

 March, during the periods when this area is under the prolonged influence 

 of "flat" pressure systems, the pack is either stationary, or there is 

 very slow, local motion. At such times, the entire ice field becomes a 

 part of the fast ice which th«n appears to extend far beyond the normal 

 limits. 



Of all the ice in Baffin Bay, that portion in Melville Bugt appears 

 to be least subject to frequent breakup in the winter months. However, 

 fracture of the ice is a normal feature. Passing storms set the ice in 

 motion; leads may be expected to form along the margin of the fast ice, 

 on the lee side of bergs, and in areas where cracks resulting from thermo- 

 dynamic and kinematic influences are present in the ice. 



Leads which form along the fast ice of Melville Bugt will be found 

 to the south of Thorns 0. Their orientation parallels the fast ice and 

 attains widths of a few hundred yards to more than 2 miles. Their entire 

 length may exceed 10 miles. As a result of pressure from the north, 

 shorter leads develop in the northerly sector of the bay. Lengtohs of \ 

 to 2 miles and widths of a few hundred feet to 1,000 yards are common,, 

 Their orientation is along an east-west axis. Leads that form on the lee 

 side of bergs will be of varying lengths as a result of pressure. Their 

 size will depend on the magnitude and duration of winds that pressed 

 against the ice. Generally, their width corresponds to the width of the 

 berg. Their length varies from a few hundred yards to more than a mile. 



During January through March, the ref reeling of exposed cracks and 

 leads begins immediately on exposure to the air. An exposed lead may 

 acquire a smooth layer of ice 18 inches thick within a little more than 

 a week, depending on the winds and temperatures. After a lapse of a few 

 more weeks, a lead of this sort may attain a cover of new ice more than 2 

 feet thick. The newly frozen leads in Melville Bugt may be free of snow 

 for considerable periods, therefore their movement can be detected from 

 the air, and their relative thickness and size can be judged. When the 

 lead is covered with snow, the snow layer generally will be light and 

 level. 



The ice in Melville Bugt begins to break up on a greater scale in the 

 latter part of April. The first 3igns of the breakup are noticed along 

 the fast ice where the pack separates and forms the great lead known as 

 the Northabout Route. After a relatively mild winter the ice is fragmented 

 into blocks and floes in the region centered at 75°30'N and 67°00'W. 

 Giant floes and fields remain in inner Melville Bugt. ' The ice in the area 

 of west of Nugssuaq and Holms 0er and to the north as far as 74°20' also 

 will begin to break into smaller floes. Northwest of Duck 0er polynyas 

 will form. Similarly, along a line connecting these islands with Conical 

 Rock, small irregular leads and polynyas will be present. 



