PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY— THE GRAND BANKS REGION 

 AND THE LABRADOR SEA IN 1940 



By Floyd M. Soule ^ 



On March 21, the General Greene departed from Woods Hole, Mass., 

 and proceeded to St. John's, Newfoundland, arrivmg there on March 

 25. Fuel and supplies were taken aboard and departure was then 

 taken from St. Jolm's on March 29 for the purpose of making a current 

 survey of the vicinity of the Grand Banks of Newfoundland which is 

 usually critical with respect to the drift of menacing ice. In the 

 absence of any ice reports and because of the uncertainty as to 

 whether this was the result of the actual absence of any ice or the 

 pursuit of a policy of radio silence by shipping, it was considered ad- 

 visable to include in this survey the area just south and southwest of 

 the Grand Banks, Thus current information from the vicinity of the 

 steamer lanes would be available for use should bergs be found farther 

 south than might be indicated by the absence of reports. This 

 limited the northern extension of the map to about latitude 46° N. 

 To take advantage of the waring moon the survey was begun at the 

 northern end at station 3074 on March 30 and progressed from north 

 toward south. 



The cruise was characterized by boisterous weather which caused 

 the loss of two thermometers on March 30 and resulted in several 

 hours delay waiting for the wind and sea to moderate sufficiently to 

 permit oceanographic operations on April 4. No other noteworthy 

 interruptions occurred and the work of collection of data was completed 

 at station 3130 on April 9, 57 stations having been occupied. The 

 General Greene then proceeded to St. John's, arriving there on April 11. 



For the purpose of making a second survey, departure was taken 

 from St. Jolm's on April 22. In as much as the first survey showed 

 the existence of a current distribution which would carry bergs west- 

 ward south of the Grand Banks if any started south along the eastern 

 edge of the Banks, it was considered advisable to again include the 

 sections south and southwest of the Banks. This meant that the 

 region to be surveyed would be the same as that covered by the first 

 map. Accordingly the survey was begun at the northern end at 

 station 3131 on April 23 with work progressing from north to south. 

 Except for delays occasioned by fathometer breakdowns the surve> 

 proceeded without incident and was completed at station 3187 on May 



> Contribution No. 286 of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 



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