31 



correlated with the unusual movements of tlie icebergs that came 

 down, QuaUtatively, considering the bergs as drift-indicators, we 

 can say that the ratio of the strength of the western branch of the 

 Labrador current flowing southward along the east coast of the Avalon 

 Peninsula, to the strength of the eastern branch of the Labrador cur- 

 rent flowing southward along the eastern edge of the Grand Banks, 

 was greater than usual; but we are without information as to how 

 large a departure from the usual situation is necessary to produce the 

 conditions which obtained during the ice season of 1933. 



A general hydrodynamic survey had been planned for the latter 

 part of March, but could not be made because it seemed advisable at 

 that time to scout for ice. It was not possible to take any oceano- 

 graphic stations until May 8 when a current survey was started at 

 lat. 45° with the intention of working northward to the vicinity 

 northwest of Flemish Cap. Six stations were completed when it 

 seemed necessary to abandon the work and scout for ice. Another 

 current survey was begun on the next cruise, on May 28. After 10 

 stations were completed it was necessary to discontinue the oceano- 

 graphic work on May 30 and scout for ice which had been reported, 

 erroneously, in positions of potential hazard. After searching for 

 this ice for about 2 days, fog and low visibility made further search 

 useless and the oceanographic work was resumed on June 2, and 9 

 more stations were completed between that date and June 4, when 

 we headed for St. John's, to secure medical aid for one of our number. 



The data collected at these 25 stations are presented in the oceano- 

 graphic table in this bulletin after the manner used in previous bulle- 

 tins. On a northern postseason cruise 112 additional stations were 

 occupied between June 26 and July 24. These were, for the most 

 part, reoccupations of the stations taken on the northern cruise of the 

 General Greene in 1931, and the data collected will be published along 

 with the results of that cruise and of the 1928 Marion expedition, in 

 bulletin 19, part 2, which is now in preparation. 



During the course of the season and on the northern cruise several 

 hundred sonic soundings were taken for which correction data and 

 accurate positions are available. These will be worked up as soon as 

 practicable and published at a later date. 



The equipment was in general similar to that used during the 1933 

 season. The two electric winches each carried about 10,000 feet of 

 49-strand galvanized steel cable. The season was begun with 12 

 Nansen water bottles, 1 of which proved defective, coming apart at 

 the soldered joints and leaving the central tubular body and the 2 

 attached thermometers on bottom. At the beginning of the season 

 there were 1 1 protected deep-sea reversing thermometers w^hose zero- 

 points had just been redetermined at the United States Bureau of 

 Standards; 3 new protected thermometers; 6 protected thermometers 



