DAVIS STRAIT AND LABRADOR SEA 87 



the result of the bottom topography in this vicinity, but its effect on 

 the Labrador Current was to split the stream which characteristi- 

 cally hugs the steepest part of the slope and to reduce its draft mate- 

 rially. In consequence only 2.4 million cubic meters per second was 

 transported southward or about a 50 percent reduction of that found 

 farther north for the Labrador current. The interruption in the 

 constancy of transport of the Labrador Current in the offiing of 

 Hudson Strait and the Strait of Belle Isle has also been remarked 



(P-80). . ^ 



Gafpe Harrigan. — A characteristic banding but an appreciable in- 

 crease in the velocity of the Labrador Current from that farther 

 north is shown on section L (fig. .50). It should be remarked, how- 

 ever, that the observations off Cape Harrigan were taken nearly 

 a month prior to those of the adjacent northerl}^ sections. The 

 shelf band renuiined fairly constant in volume of flow but the slope 

 band rose to 4.7 million cubic meters per second. This increase is 

 attributed (fig. 47) to converging current (West Greenland Current) 

 from out in the Labrador Sea. 



Hamilton Inlet. — Downstream again, approximately 60 miles, sec- 

 tion M was taken 2 days prior to section L. Shelf and slope bands 

 were computed as 0.6 and 4.2 million cubic meters per second, re- 

 spectively. The draft of the slope band of about 1,200 meters, as 

 recorded by the 1-centimeter-per-second-velocity line, suggests that 

 along this section of the American slope the Labrador Current may 

 penetrate to depths even greater than 1,500 meters. 



Domino Islcmd. — A reduction in the velocity but a widening of 

 the Labrador Current was found 60 miles farther downstream at 

 section N (fig. 50) taken off Domino Island July 22-23, 1928. The 

 inner and outer current belts were computed as 1.0 and 4.1 million 

 cubic meters per second, similar to the distribution found off Hamil- 

 ton Inlet. 



Belle Isle. — Continuing southward another cross section of the 

 Labrador Current section O (fig. 51) was made September .5-8, 

 1928. There was, therefore, an interval of about 6 weeks between 

 the time of running the Domino Island and the Bell Isle sections. 

 The net volume of flow of the Labrador Current off Belle Isle 

 of 2.6 million cubic meters per second was about 50 percent less 

 than that farther north off Domino Island. Examination of the 

 surface current map (fig. 47) indicates that the decrease in the 

 southward component of transport was partly due to countercurrent 

 which pressed in against the slope between stations 1097 and 1098. 

 This eddy, probably part of a backwash associated with the Atlantic 

 Current farther offshore, apparently deflected much of the Labrador 

 Current in toward Belle Isle as noted by the streamlines on figure 

 47. A shallow but relatively large depression in the Newfoundland 

 shelf located between sections O and P, around which the Labrador 

 Current was turned cyclonically, is also believed to have contributed 

 to a deficiency of southward transport. 



White Bay. — The presence of the above-described eddy in the form 

 of a northerly component is also to be noted between stations 1115 

 and 1117 on section P (fig. 51). The slope band of the Labrador 

 Current was disrupted here off the Strait of Belle Isle in similar 

 manner to that in which the slope band was split off Hudson Strait. 



