tongue of weak ice. This belt of weak ice is found the length of this 

 coastal section and varies in width from about 5 to 10 miles in the vicin- 

 ity of Tasiussaq Bugt to more than 25 miles at the approaches to Disko 

 Bugt. 



Passing storms frequently open the ice and cause its general break- 

 up, separating it into floes of many sizes and thicknesses. Large areas 

 of water are exposed which freeze rapidly and cover the area with layers 

 of new ice. Onshore pressure closes the ice causing considerable rafting 

 and ridging. Sea ice is usually in a state of great mobility and subject 

 to sudden and unpredictable changes. Sea ice appears last and is the 

 first to disappear from the eastern waters of Baffin Bay and Davis Strait. 

 A broad shore lead begins to replace it in early May when it begins to 

 encroach the coastal waters of Disko and reaches Tasiussaq Bugt by early 

 June* 



Disko Bugt to S^ndre Strefmf .lord - Coastal Indentations and fjords 

 along this coast begin to freeze in the latter part of November and are 

 usually frozen completely by January. Because of the tidal currents, many 

 of the passages and some areas of the fjords are either open or are cov- 

 ered by a thin layer of ice. Ice forming in the fjords is usually flat 

 and smooth. It may attain a thickness of 3 feet or more by mid-February, 



Breakup of the ice in the exposed sections usually begins in May. 

 However, in the fjords this occurs in the latter part of May and early 

 June. 



Offshore, the Davis Strait pack may extend southward along the coast 

 from Disko Bugt to the northern approaches to S^ndre Str^mf jord. The ice 

 first appears off Egedesminde in January, and extends southward to the 

 latitude of 66° or 66°30'N by February. Pressure from the south and south- 

 east will force the ice away from the coast and create a broad shore lead, 

 which may extend northward to the vicinity of Egedesminde. 



In the northern part of the sector, the ice is similar to that found 

 off Disko; to the south it is composed mostly of new ice, broken into 

 block and small floes by winds, sea, and swell. In this area a broad 

 shore lead develops during the latter part of April. Occasional incur- 

 sions of the shore lead occur under strong, persistent pressure from the 

 northwest. This brings in ice from the fringe of the pack to the west. 



f Cape Chidle.y. Labrador to Cape Dyer. Baffin^jsland - East Hudson 

 Strait and the coastal area to ^Cumberland Sound are influenced by strong 

 tides where ranges may exceed 35 feet (Frobisher Bay). As a result of 

 the tides and the strong south-setting currents, a small amount of fast 

 ice is formed along the shores. Ridges exceeding 7 feet usually occur in 

 the ice when developed in the close confines at the head of the great 

 funnel-like bays. Otherwise, th*re is rafting because of piling by tidal 

 action during the early stages of formation and growth of the fast ice. 



