no 



of doubt large values have been taken to arrive at the chilling effects 

 of the bergs, and extremely small values to arrive at the total effect 

 of vernal warming. For this reason the estimate that the melting of 

 bergs south of the fortv-eighth parallel offsets the solar warming effect 

 in the ''melting area " by but two hours is likely to be much too large. 

 The true time figure is probably less than one hour. But even if gross 

 errors have crept in and the two hours should be 100 per cent' too 

 small instead of too large, the negligible effects of the melting bergs in 

 the southern parts of the Labrador Current would still be apparent. 



If the bergs melting south of the forty-eighth parallel do not make 

 and keep the southern reaches of the Labrador Current cold and 

 active, then what does? The answer to this question leads very far 

 afield and can not be more than hinted at here. 



Barnes ' sees the source of the cold water la3'ers in the Gulf of St. 

 Lawrence and southeast of Newfoundland in the melting of icebergs. 

 Lieut. Commander Edward H. Smith, United States Coast Guard, 

 has stated in the course of conversation with the writer that, because 

 of their large size and immense numbers, the melting of bergs north 

 of the fortj-eighth parallel has a much more powerful effect than that 

 of bergs melting in the "melting area." The sum total of the berg 

 effects, in his opinion, amounts to almost nothing, however. It is 

 many times exceeded by that of melting northern field ice. He 

 further stated that the combined eft'ects of both bergs and field ice were 

 entirely inadequate to account for the enormous volume of cold 

 water that is discharged annually past Labrador by the Labrador 

 Current. He contends that its true source must be looked for in 

 direct winter chilling of the sea in northern regions by the air. 



He bases his opinion on a critical study of all the important oceano- 

 graphic and explorational work that has been undertaken in the 

 North Atlantic and polar basins, as well as on the results of his own 

 work while with the ice patrol and the Marion Expedition. The 

 latter scientific expedition into the waters between Greenland and 

 Labrador, it will be remembered, was sponsored by the United States 

 Coast Guard for the benefit of the scientific program of the ice 

 patrol in 1928. The results of its work have not yet been fully pub- 

 lished, but will be issued from time to time as special numbers in the 

 series of Coast Guard bulletins. Lieutenant Commander Smith has 

 just finished his discussion of ice and currents, and these sections, 

 embodying his views, a few of which are briefly outlined above, 

 should appear at an early date. 



It is believed that the calculations of chilling and warming eft'ects 

 made in this section will help in a small way to support the Nansen 

 idea of oceanic circulation as interpreted by Lieut. Commander 

 Edward H. Smith. 



• p. 75, Transactions Royal Society of Canada, 1914, Sec. Ill, third series, vol. 8. 



