major fishing area, frequented by fishing 

 vessels ranging in size from 60 ft to over 

 200 ft. Since 1997, the Grand Banks 

 region has rapidly been developed for its 

 oil reserves. In November of 1997, the 

 gravity-based oil platform "Hibernia" was 

 set in position approximately 150 nm 

 offshore on the north eastern portion of the 

 Grand Banks. Each year, there have been 

 several other mobile drilling rigs in the 

 White Rose and Terra Nova oil fields. This 

 increased development of the Grand 

 Banks has increased air and surface traffic 

 in HP's search area further complicating Ice 

 Patrol's reconnaissance efforts in 

 distinguishing icebergs from other types of 

 targets. As previously mentioned, the 

 addition of FLAR in 1993 has provided IIP 

 with a reliable method of discriminating 

 targets without actually visually confirming 

 the target. This method works well for 

 larger targets but is very difficult with small 

 fishing vessels and smaller icebergs. 

 Often, both present similar RADAR returns 

 and may not be able to be differentiated. 

 The unknown RADAR targets in Figure 13 

 represent 9% of all targets in the search 

 area. Of the 1632 icebergs detected, 56% 

 were detected and identified with RADAR 

 only. This further emphasizes the need for 

 FLAR and the continuing need to pursue 

 technological innovations in 



reconnaissance equipment. 



Figure 13 and Table 4 illustrate HP's 

 efforts to determine iceberg size. Of the 

 1430 "larger" icebergs, many are 

 determined to be icebergs by FLAR but 

 size determinations are not made. 

 Accurate size measurements are not 

 available while operating with FLAR; 

 therefore all "RADAR" icebergs are given a 

 medium size classification for the IIP drift 

 and deterioration model. Intuitively, one 

 could assume there is a greater distribution 

 of different sized icebergs throughout the 

 IIP operating area. 



Small and 



Larger Bergs 



Including 



Unknowns 



1430 (88%; 



Figure 13. 1998 IIP detected icebergs by size 



Oceanographic Operations 



During the 86-year history of IIP, 

 extensive oceanographic tests were 

 conducted in the Grand Banks and 

 Greenland regions. These oceanographic 

 operations peaked in the 1960s when the 

 U. S. Coast Guard devoted vessel assets 

 solely for collecting oceanographic data. 

 Currently, the Ice Patrol uses only air 

 assets during operational patrols. 

 Oceanographic data are collected using 

 air-deployed satellite-tracked drifting 

 buoys and air expendable 



bathythermograph (AXBT) probes. Figure 

 14 summarizes the drift of 13 drifters 

 deployed in 1998. For specific drifter 

 information, request MP's 1998 Buoy Atlas. 

 In addition, Ice Patrol drifter data are 

 archived and available from the National 

 Oceanographic Data Center. 



14 



