PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY OF THE GRAND BANKS REGION 

 AND THE LABRADOR SEA IN 1952^ 



By Floyd M. Soule, Senior Physical Oceanographer, U. S. Coast Guard 



During 1952 the U. S. Coast Guard 180-foot tender-class cutter 

 Evergreen served as oceanographic vessel of the ice patrol, as it has 

 since 1948. The only major change affecting the oceanographic work, 

 made since the 1951 season, was the lowermg of the laboratory room 

 temperature. This was accomplished by increasing the heat insula- 

 tion of the bulkheads and deck and the installation of an air-condi- 

 tioning unit. The rapid circulation of drier, cooler air has made pos- 

 sible better temperature control of the salinity bridge but has resulted 

 in increased evaporation of salinity samples during the time their con- 

 tainers are open. The importance of this increased evaporation has 

 not yet been determined. 



The field work for the 1952 season began with the departure of the 

 Evergreen from Argentia on the evening of 31 March for the first 

 survey. The unusual absence of both berg and sea ice from the 

 Grand Banks region obviated the necessity for surveying the area 

 mimediately adjacent to the more southerly steamer lanes and pro- 

 vided an opportunity for studying the waters farther to the north. 

 The area mimediately northward of the northeastern shoulder of the 

 Grand Banks and Flemish Cap was free of sea ice, as was also the 

 Bona vista triangle. If bergs subsequently moved south it would be 

 useful to have a knowledge of the current system in this area. The 

 BonaVista triangle is usually covered, at least in part, by sea ice until 

 May. Very little information has been available regarding the north- 

 ward flowing outer margins of the North Atlantic eddy north of 

 Flemish Cap and no measurements had been made at this time of year. 

 It was considered improbable that the Labrador shelf would remain 

 free of sea ice across its complete width for the expected duration of 

 the survey. The survey was planned, in the light of these considera- 

 tions, to include the Bonavista triangle and a network of stations be- 

 tween it and Flemish Cap with the survey extended northward by a 

 series of sections approximately normal to the coast and extendmg 

 from the outer edge of the shelf to an eastern limit some 200 miles sea- 

 ward of the continental slope. 



The work of collection of data, encompassing 127 stations beginnmg 

 with station 4614, began at the latitude of Flemish Cap on 1 April and 



1 To be reprinted as Contribution No. 637 of tlie Woods Hole Oceanograpliic Institution. 



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