27 



FEBRUARY 



February 5 brought the first ice report for the season of 1932. On 

 that date several growlers and broken field ice were reported in scat- 

 tered positions just north of latitude 48° 00' N. During the month 

 field ice was common along the northern slope of the Grand Banks 

 west of longitude 47° 00' W. Light field ice was encountered until 

 a point about 25 miles east of Cape Race was reached. During the 

 month three bergs were reported south of latitude 49° 00' N. The 

 ce conditions are given in detail on the inclosed ice chart for February, 



MARCH 



During March, field ice was heavy with scattered bergs and growlers 

 along the forty-eighth parallel from longitude 47° 00' to 50° 40' 

 W. Scattered ice fields were reported in the gully east of the Avalon 

 Peninsula. One report of field ice just south of the taU of the Grand 

 Banks was received. Forty-three bergs were repoited south of lati- 

 tude 48° 00' N. during the month. Their positions were widely scat- 

 tered between latitudes 46° 00' and 48° 00' N., and from the eastern 

 slope of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to longitude 41° 28' W. 

 Twenty-five bergs and numerous growlers were reported just north of 

 latitude 46° 00' N. and between longitudes 46° 09' and 47° 26' W. on 

 March 29. As these bergs were in an excellent position to drift south 

 wardthe International Ice Patrol was inaugurated on April 1, 1932. 



APRIL 



April was by far the heaviest ice month of the season of 1932. It 

 is estimated that no less than 321 dift'erent bergs and numerous 

 growlers drifted south of latitude 48° 00' N. during this month. 

 Fortunately the Labrador current was particularly weak south of 

 latitude 45° 30' N. until the last few days of April, and therefore 

 only three bergs were known to drift south of latitude 45° 00' N. 

 during the month. The southernmost position of ice during the 

 month was a berg grounded in 44° 01' N.-49° 25' W. on April 5. By 

 April 8 the limits of the ice area were well defined by reports from 

 vessels crossing along track E to be north of latitude 45° 20' N. 

 and west of longitude 46° 00' W. The most ice-congested area was 

 between latitudes 45° 20' and 46° 30' N. and between longitudes 

 48° 00' and 49° 00' W., where numerous bergs, growlers, and field ice 

 had been reported. By April 13 bergs were reported well within the 

 50-fathom curve and were numerous along track E as far west as the 

 turning point. Two bergs were in the center of the Banks in longi- 

 tude 52° 00' W. From April 18 until the end of the month bergs 

 were common along the northern slope of the Banks as far west as 

 longitude 52° 15' W. It is rather unusual for so many bergs to take 



