at depths of about 3,150 meters. Also near-bottom water has been 

 found having potential temperatures of 1.2 at 3,450 meters on the 

 Greenland slope and 1.3 at 3,600 meters on the Labrador side. These 

 are considered to be representative values for the 15 annual summer- 

 time occupations 1948-62. Other colder values have been observed. 

 For example in 1954 at station 5705 a potential temperature of 1.18 

 was found at 3,450 meters although the coldest potential temperature 

 found along a section extending east from Cape Farewell was 1.29 at 

 station 5723 at a depth of 2,810 meters and the coldest potential 

 temperature along a section extending southeastward from Cape 

 Farewell was 1.83 at station 5735 at 1,926 meters. Again in 1962 

 at station 8315 at 3,460 meters the potential temperature was 1.18 

 and northward of this station at station 8324 at 3,526 meters the 

 potential temperature was 1.16 and at station 8325 at 3,424 meters 

 it was 1.18. 



In considering the Anton Dohrn sections, then, we must look for 

 oxygen values greater than 7 ml/1 and potential temperatures of less 

 than 1.5. In presenting these data in Deutsche Hydrographische 

 Zeitschrift in 1960, G. Dietrich has named the sections A, C, D, E, 

 F, H, and J from Denmark Strait to Cape Farewell. Using his 

 section designations and the data from the IGY Data Center, we 

 find the following observations with potential temperatures colder 

 than 1.5: 



Potential Oxygen, 



Section Station Depth temperature Salinity milliter 



A 2268 680 0.94 34.92 7.23 



728 0. 05 34. 94 7. 16 



2269 488 0. 15 34. 91 7. 23 



C 0) 



D 2313 2,720 1.40 34.88 6.95 



E 2317 2,875 1.30 34.90 5.94 



2318 2, 750 1. 44 34. 91 6. 81 



F 2328 2,520 1.48 34.88 6.94 



H 0) 



J 2340 2,935 1.22 34.88 6.97 



2341 3, 220 1. 23 34. 87 6. 98 

 > No potential temperature as low as 1.5. 



Thus, while the water found by the Anton Dohrn falls short of 

 qualifying, the time of the observations may represent an interval 

 between periods when water of cold enough temperature and high 

 enough oxygen may be contributed across Denmark Strait ridge. 



Another possible source of the cold high-oxygen bottom water of the 

 Labrador Sea is in the northwestern part of the Labrador Sea near 

 the juncture of the Baffinland Current which has come through Davis 

 Strait, and the westward branching of the West Greenland Current 

 south of Davis vStrait ridge. This involves surface cooling to the 

 freezing point and subsequent increase in salinity through ice forma- 

 tion and convective mixing. Water so cooled (to —1.8°) and con- 



77 



