Land CuiTcnt, fits in well with the general eiieulation of BafTm Bay 

 water. The chief features of the surface circulation as sho^vn by the 

 dynamic topography are (1) a north setting current across the Davis 

 Strait ridge adjacent the Greenland coast at the southern end of the 

 bay; (2) the continuation of this current, modified locally by the 

 bottom contours but setting predominately north, throughout the 

 eastern part of Baffin Bay to its head; and (3) a predominately south 

 setting current on the western side of Baffin Bay from its head to the 

 Davis Strait ridge at a latitude of about 67° North. The net result 

 is a cyclonic movement of the water in the surface levels of Baffin 

 Bay, with the strongest currents occurring in the vicinity of the slope 

 and directed roughly parallel to the bottom contours. 



The station map, figure 17, shows also the bottom topography for 

 the western part of Baffin Bay. Contour lines have been drawn for 

 depths of 250, 500, 1,000, and 2,000 meters, based largely on the 

 sonic soundings taken by the Northland. These contours are rather 

 sketchy except where they cross the ship's track but have been shown 

 here in the absence of any previous soundings for most of the area. 

 It is interesting to note at this point the similarity of the contours 

 of dynamic topography to those of bottom topography. 



Velocity profiles referred to the 1,500 decibar level have been drawn 

 for the two Northland sections. Figure 19 shows the vertical distribu- 

 tion of the velocity of the currents at section A. The main axis of the 

 south setting current at this section was found between stations 3333 

 and 3334 about 10 miles oft'shore from the steepest part of the slope. 

 A weaker south setting current inshore had its axis between stations 

 3331 and 3332 but a large portion of this water is presumed to con- 

 tribute to the intervening north setting countercurrent. Wliat may 

 be regarded as the main Baffin Land Current extends from the coast 

 offshore to a short distance beyond station 3334. The net southerly 

 transfer of water between station 3330 and the edge of the north set- 

 ting current beyond station 3334 was computed as 2.3 million cubic 

 meters per second. This undoubtedly represents the bulk of the 

 south setting coastal current. The value is in good numerical agree- 

 ment with that of 2 million cubic meters per second for the southward 

 flow of the Baffin Land Current in the year 1928 emptying into the 

 Labrador Sea across the Davis Strait ridge as computed by Smith, 

 Soule, and Mosby (Bulletin 19, pt. 2). 



Figure 20 shows the vertical distribution of velocity of the currents 

 at section B. In this locality the main axis of the south setting current 

 hugs the slope closely. Its volume was computed as 1.6 million cubic 

 meters per second , but it is very probable that the section as sampled 

 did not include all of the Baffin Land Current. This view is supported 

 by a study of the bottom topograph}^ south of the section (fig. 17). 



