PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY OF THE GRAND BANKS 

 REGION AND THE LABRADOR SEA IN 1961 ' 



By Floyd M. Soule, Alfred P. Franceschetti and R. M. O'Hagan (U.S. Coast Guard) 



The oceanographic vessel of the International Ice Patrol in 1961 

 was again the 180-foot tender class cutter USCG cutter Evergreen. 

 Xo marked alterations affecting the oceanographic work were made 

 in the vessel since the previous season. Certain changes were made 

 in the accumulators on the oceanographic winches. A different type 

 of wire clamp which results in less mechanical damage to the wire 

 rope was used on all Xansen type water bottles, and between the 

 fourth survey and the postseason survey /Stainless steel wire rope 

 replaced the galvanized plow steel wire rope on one of the winches. 



The Evergreen departed Argentia, X'^ewfoundland, on 31 March to 

 conduct the first survey of the 1961 season. The survey covered 

 the waters over and immediately seaward of the southern and eastern 

 slopes of the Grand Banks from just westward of the Tail of the Banks 

 northward to the latitude of Flemish Cap. The work of collection 

 began on 2 April at station 7589 located off the southwestern slope of the 

 banks and progressed from south to north without nuijor interruption. 

 On 15 April, the final station, number 7673, was completed and the 

 Evergreen proceeded to Argentia, arriving there on the morning of 

 17 April. 



The second survey covered the waters over and innnediately 

 seaward of the northeastern slope of the Grand Banks from Flemish 

 Cap northwestward to station 7723 located at the offshore corner 

 of the Bonavista triangle (50°00' X., 49°00' W.) and then along the 

 southeast leg of the triangle to station 7731 (47°24' X., 50°00' W.). 

 Ice conditions around the western part of the Bonavista triangle 

 were such that oceanographic stations could not be taken and the 

 occupation of the triangle, therefore, was not completed. The work 

 of collection of data was completed on the morning of 5 May after 

 58 stations had been occupied. The Evergreen then proceeded to 

 Argentia, arriving there on the evening of 6 May. 



A third survey, stations 7732 to 7818, made between 25 May and 

 5 June was similar to that covered by the fu'st survey. On 24 May 

 en route to the first oceanographic station, three Richardson current 

 meters were moored along section U at depths of 35 to 40 meters 



1 To be reprinted as Coutributioii Xo. 1252 in the Collected Reprints of the Woods Hole Ocean- 

 ographic Institution. 



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