37 



Towards the end of the season the bergs came down still farther 

 west and most of them stopped in the slack water over the northern 

 part of the Grand Banks or stranded along the Newfoundland coast 

 between St. Johns and Cape Race. When the patrol was ended 

 even these westerly bergs were thinning out rapidly, due in a large 

 part, no doubt, to disintegration farther north. This would naturally 

 be caused by summer solar warming of the air and sea surface water. 



It was noted that a large pool of arctic and mixed water remained 

 south of the Grand Banks right up to June 22. This was fed by a 

 narrow but swift stream running along the eastern edge of the Grand 

 Banks. A large proportion of the bergs that reached the pool via 

 this stream was swung in a counterclockwise direction around it at 

 speeds varying from 15 to 60 nautical miles per day. During the 

 latter part of May and the first part of June six bergs went south of 

 the forty-second parallel in this circulation. One of these on June 3 

 attained the unusual latitude of 38° 59' N. in the longitude of 48° 

 51' W. It had traveled rapidly across both the eastbound and west- 

 bound B United States-Europe tracks, then in effect, by running 

 along one of the tongues of water radiating from the cold pool. Its 

 most southerly position was due east of a point between Baltimore, 

 Md., and Washington, D. C. 



Ninety-five oceanographic stations were taken during the season. 

 These were all worked out in accordance with the methods described 

 in Bulletin No. 14, United States Coast Guard. The calculated 

 currents usuall}^ agreed closely with the sets and drifts encountered 

 and with the actual observed berg drifts. Because of the necessity 

 for scouting for bergs during intervals of good visibility and also for 

 following menacing bergs for long periods in the vicinity of the steam- 

 ship lanes, the stations taken were usually just about where and when 

 opportunity allowed. Had the patrol vessel been more free, their 

 distribution in the patrol area would have been much better arranged. 



One unusual feature of the bergs sighted this year was the amount 

 of earth deposits in many of them. Some had layers of brownish 

 gray matter streaked through them like icing between the layers of 

 a cake. One was seen that had great irregular lines and patches of 

 what looked like black soil embedded in one of its precipitous sides. 

 It was impossible to obtain any dirt samples from the bergs. It is 

 very difficult and dangerous to board a berg at sea. Only especially 

 favorably shaped ones permit a footing to be obtained and then it 

 is only during time of comparatively smooth sea that such bergs can 

 be approached and landed on from small boats with any degree of 

 safety. 



Another unusual matter may prove of interest to ornithologists. 

 Besides all the usual forms of bird life about the bergs and the Banks, 

 this season snowy owls were seen on several of the icebergs. The owls, 



