Hamilton Inlet.. This occurrence was about 

 two weeks earlier than usual. During May, 

 the SST on the Grand Banks was 1-2° C 

 above normal, while at the Tail of the Bank 

 it was 2-3° C above normal (Fig. 16). More 

 than 1000 icebergs were estimated to have 

 passed south of 48° N in May, the largest 

 number of icebergs for any one month in 

 MP's history. By the end of the month, 

 there were over 500 icebergs south of 48° 

 N. In mid-month (Fig. 31), the LAKI were 

 at the median. By the end of the month 

 (Fig. 32), LAKI expanded to approximately 

 the 25 th percentile, with the exception of 

 the eastern limits, which were being held at 

 an extreme position by a small number of 

 isolated icebergs. 



June 



In most areas east of 

 Newfoundland, the SST was 1-2° degrees 

 warmer than normal. The mean air 

 temperature for June was also 1-2° C 

 above normal for both Newfoundland and 

 southern Labrador. During the entire 

 month, the LAKI were near the median 

 (Figs. 33 and 34), but it was clear that the 

 iceberg season was waning. By mid- 

 month the number of icebergs south of 48° 

 N diminished dramatically from the 

 previous month (379 to 171), indicating 

 rapid deterioration was taking place. The 

 number of icebergs between 48° N and the 

 Strait of Belle Isle also shows a substantial 

 reduction during the same period. Part of 



60 "W 



55'W 



50 'W 

 Longitude 



40 "w 



Figure 16. Sea Surface Temperature Anomaly on the Grand Banks of 

 Newfoundland during May 1998. 



19 



