30 



MAItlOX EXPEDITIOX TO DAVIS STRAIT AND BAFFIX BAY 



As a result of the ])revailin«r winds, currents, and of the confiLnuii- ' 

 tion of the basin, certain parts of the polar cap ice are characteiis- ' 

 tically cono;ested. These are known as the re^rions of ))ale(>crystir ' 

 ice. In this resj)ect the uiost famous district is north of (irreenhuKl 

 and Grant Land, while other sections are alon<j: tlie east coast of 

 Xovaya Zendya. around Franz Josef Land, and oil' the southeastern 

 coast of the Beaufort Sea. The term " ])aleocrystic ice '" was first 

 used by Nares in llSTC) to describe the tumbled, chaotic nuiss of 

 blocks and domes of old sea ice, developed after many years of shock 

 and ])ressure. A welLknown area of ])aleoci-ystic ice is the sector i 

 on the northwest coast of (ireeidand. whei'e the ])()lai' caj) ice is 

 forced tlirou^h the funnellike ()j)enin<r in Baffin P)ay. 



l^aleocrvstic ice lyin^- across the so-called American route to the 

 pole proved a <ri"eat obstruction to the early northern ex})l()rers. 



A Paleocrystic Ice REGION 



FiciiRE 15. — The horizontal fields of cap ice in certain regions undei-jro treiiuMiilnus ■ 

 sliocks and pressures due to the pi-evailins winds, cui-renls. and the contiaurati'in 

 of the liasin. The rosultinj; form is called paleocrystic ice. This photourapli was 

 taken in April. 1002, north of Cape Ilelca. (irant Land, tlir northern extremity 

 of Ellesmere Land. (See tits. 11.) ( rhotoiiruiih. d by Kcar Aihniral U. K. lVa;y.) 



Sled<re progress across such upheaved scar})s is suaillike. full of 

 toil, and frauiiht with dang-er, both to dogs and men. After several 

 years of pressure ridging and hummocking with successive layers 

 of snow increasing the bulk, floebergs deveh)p. These when Ho.it- 

 ing, attain heights as great as ;^() feet above the .sea. and they often 

 show a striking resemblance to icebergs. Several Arctic explorers 

 have mistaken floebergs for icebergs: even Peaiy, seeing them north 

 of (irant Laud, thought he luid evidence of undiscovered gla -iatioii 

 in that directiou. It is an intei-estiug (luestion whether or not luaiiy 

 floebergs actually join the supply of icebergs drifting into the Nortii 

 Atlantic. Liformatioii on this subject is negligible becaii.-e tlu' 

 ])ro])er i)lace to distinguisii the one ice form from the other and to ilo- 

 tei-mine theii- relative numbers is at the head of Baffin Hay. where 

 few or no observations have ever l)een taken. The presence ol Hoo- 



