INTERNATIONAL ICE PATROL, 1976 



The 1976 International Ice Patrol Service in 

 the North Atlantic Ocean was conducted by the 

 personnel and with the facilities of the United 

 States Coast Guard under the provisions of Title 

 46, United States Code, Sections 738, 738a 

 through 738d and the International Convention 

 for the Safety of Life at Sea, 1960, Regulations 

 5 through 8. The International Ice Patrol pro- 

 vides a service that observes and disseminates in- 

 formation on ice conditions in the Grand Banks 

 Region of the Northwest Atlantic Ocean. Dur- 

 ing the ice season, the southeastern, southern and 

 southwestern limits of the regions of icebergs in 

 the vicinity of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland 

 are guarded for the purpose of informing passing 

 ships of the extent of this dangerous region. The 

 International Ice Patrol also studies ice conditions 

 in general with emphasis on the formation, drift 

 and deterioration of icebergs, and assists ships 

 and personnel requiring aid within the limits of 

 operation of the Ice Patrol forces. 



The International Ice Patrol is directed from 

 the Ice Patrol Office located at the U.S. Coast 

 Guard Base, Governors Island, New York. The 

 Office gathers ice and environmental data from a 

 variety of sources, maintains an ice plot, forecasts 

 ice condition, prepares the twice-daily Ice Bulle- 

 tin, replies to requests for special ice information, 

 and executes operational control of the Aerial Ice 

 Reconnaissance Detachment, the Ice Patrol 

 oceanographic cutter (s), and the Surface Patrol 

 cutter (s) when assigned. 



Vice Admiral William F. REA, U.S. Coast 

 Guard, was Commander, International Ice Patrol. 

 Commander Albert D. SUPER, U.S. Coast 

 Guard, was the Ice Patrol Officer and as such 

 directly responsible for the management of the 

 Patrol. 



There were two preseason reconnaissance mis- 

 sions conducted during the periods 22 January 



to 1 February and 25 February to 10 March 1976. 

 The Aerial Ice Reconnaissance Detachment was 

 deployed to St. John's, Newfoundland. Canada 

 on 18 March 1976 and returned to the United 

 States on 22 July 1976. 



The 1976 Ice Season officially commenced at 

 0000 GMT on 18 March, when the first Ice Bulle- 

 tin was issued, and continued until the final 

 Bulletin was issued at 0000 GMT 22 July 1976. 

 Daily facsimile charts and twice-daily Ice Bulle- 

 tins were prepared by the International Ice 

 Patrol and broadcast as discussed in the commu- 

 nications section of this report. Iceberg infor- 

 mation was also included on the regularly 

 scheduled radio facsimile broadcasts made by the 

 Navy Weather Central Norfolk/NFAX, Mari- 

 time Command Radio Halifax/CFH, Radio 

 Bracknell/GFE, Radio Hamburg-Quickborn/ 

 DGC and Radio Quickborn/DGN. 



The U.S. Coast Guard Cutter EVERGREEN, 

 commanded by Lieutenant Commander Joseph 

 H. DISCENZA, U.S. Coast Guard conducted 

 oceanographic cruises for the Ice Patrol from 23 

 March to 25 April and 18 May to 01 July. Ad- 

 ditionally, the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter SHER- 

 MAN, commanded by Captain Howard M. 

 VEILLETTE conducted a special Ice Patrol 

 oceanographic cruise slightly east of the Grand 

 Banks from 08 June-01 July 1976. All these 

 cruises provided vital ocean current and tempera- 

 ture data used as inputs to the computerized ice- 

 berg drift program and iceberg deterioration 

 predictions. Ice Patrol oceanographic activities 

 are discussed further in the Oceanographic Con- 

 ditions section of this report. 



For the third consecutive year no surface pa- 

 trol was required to patrol the southern limits of 

 icebergs. 



During the. 1976 Season an estimated 151 ice- 

 bergs drifted south of 48° North latitude, a light 

 season that had a total duration of 126 davs. 



