relatively warm current. Observations of the West Greenland 

 Current off Cape Farewell have been made during each of 14 sum- 

 mertime occupations of the section extending from the Labrador 

 coast to Cape Farewell. These include 6 of the 8 years 1934-41 

 and each of the 4 years 1948-51. The Irminger Current com- 

 ponent of the West Greenland Current was subnormal in 1948 and 

 almost totally absent from this section in each of the three subse- 

 quent years. This agrees qualitatively with the conception of a 

 contracted weakened North Atlantic eddy. 



It has been concluded, therefore, that the differences between 

 conditions found during the post-war period and the earlier period 

 do not represent permanent changes but more probably represent 

 longer period departures from normal. In computing the relation- 

 ship between the adjusted area A and the sea level difference, 

 Charleston-Bermuda departure, H, the previous normal value of 

 H = 5.07 has been used in combining all observations to derive 

 the expression 



A = 6.4(^-5.07) + 1.85 



for computing the adjusted area with a probable error of ± 1.9 

 X 10^ square kilometers. In figure 17 the values of A computed 

 by the use of this formula are shown as circles connected by 

 broken lines and are compared with the values of A derived by 

 adjusting the observed area by the subtraction of the volume of 

 flow of the Labrador Current past section U. The latter are 

 shown as black dots and are connected by solid lines. The shape 

 of the connecting lines follows the changes in H. In arriving at 

 the "observed" values of A there are several possible sources of 

 error such as in estimating the location of the boundary in those 

 parts of a survey where the boundary is outside the limits of the 

 survey, and in determining the volume of flow of the Labrador 

 Current past section U, and in assuming that that part of the 

 volume of flow past section U which is water from the Grand 

 Banks eddy is of importance equal to that of the true Labrador 

 Current in determining the position of the boundary. In arriving 

 at the computed values of A, all modifying factors which may be 

 interposed in 13 1/2 months and along 1,500 miles have been 

 neglected. For example, no account has been taken of the possible 

 development in or progress through the Grand Banks sector of a 

 meander. In view of these uncertainties, the agreement between 

 the observed and computed values of A is considered to be good. 



In the studies that thus far have been made of the triangle off 

 Cape Bonavista one of the points of interest which has received 

 attention is whether or not the area is one in which the current 

 pattern at the surface is sufficiently similar to that at subsurface 

 levels to permit the movement of deep draft bergs to be deduced 



46 



