146 MAEIOX EXPEDITIOX TO DAVIS STEAIT AXD BAFFIN BAY 



The behavior of the currents in this particular region has been 

 investigated with considerable interest because interactions of the 

 tAvo flows must naturally exert an important effect on the number of 

 bergs that are carried southward out of Baffin Bay, The fact that 

 the cold Baffin Land current at times spreads out nearly three- 

 quarters of the distance across to Greenland indicates that some of 

 the bergs at that time must be carried eastward awa}^ from the axis,' 

 and the swiftest part of the current, and therefore diminish their 

 chances of reaching the Atlantic. On the other hand, during such* 

 l^eriods of flood of the Baffin Land current, more bergs are liable- 

 to be carried southward through the neck of Davis Strait than other- 

 wise, and a heavy ice year may be expectecL off' Newfoundland. How- 

 ever, if the west Greenland current experiences an abnormal intensi- 

 fication, it will tend to dam the cold polar stream and thus reduce the 

 number of bergs which are borne soutliAvard out of the Arctic. 



The general bounds of the currents in lower Baffin Land and Davis 

 Strait as determined from the oceanographic observations of the. 

 Marlon and Godthaah are more or less confirmed by the distribution 

 of the icebergs noted by the Marion. The striking feature of their 

 distribution in the narrow neck of Davis Strait in August. 1928. was 

 that no bergs were sighted three hours, i. e., 25 to 30 miles, after the 

 Marion had departed from Godthavn to cross Davis Strait. Xo ice 

 whatsoever was sighted out in the central part of the strait, nor until 

 the ship had arrived within 40 miles of the Baffin Land coast, off 

 Cape Dier. The absence of bergs in the middle of the strait at that 

 time strongly indicates that the ice does not follow a direct path 

 from the glaciers across to the south-flowing current under the 

 American shore. Tliis condition, combined with the fact that only 

 very fcAv bergs Avere sighted to the south Avard in Davis Strait, cor- 

 roborates the oceanographic observations, namely, that the Avater and 

 the ice tend to folloAV a cyclonic circuit of Baffin Bay. The general 

 behavior of the pack ice as described on page 47, also fits in "welL. 

 with the picture of the prevailing currents as shoAvn on Figure 92. h* 



According to the Manon''s survey, the Baffin Land current con- 

 tinues doAA-n the coast tOAvard Hudson Strait at a speed of (3.7 miles 

 l)er day. spreading to a AA'idth much greater than the AA'idth of the 

 compensating stream t)n the Greenland side. Scattered bergs sighted 

 90 miles out from the Baffin Land coast AAcre moving soutiiAvard in 

 the set. As the flow approached Hudson Strait, aa'c found it narroAV- 

 ing to only 20 miles in Avidth and simultaneously accelerating to 20 ! 

 miles per day, to turn into Hudson Strait close under Resolution 

 Island, an indication of the most probable course for the ice. ]McLean 

 (1929, p. 13) says icebergs also enter Hudson Strait via (rabriel 

 Strait, betAA'een Resolution Island and Baffin Land. This agrees, 

 furthermore, Avitli MacjMillan's Aerbal statement that he has Avit- 

 nessed bergs drifting into Hudson Strait in narroAV roAvs along 

 the northern side for a distance of 150 miles, as far as Big Island, 

 Avhere nearly all of them recurve, to drift out again past Cape Chidley 

 on the Labrador side. Not infrequently bergs drift up the strait as 

 far as Sali.sbury Island before being caught in this current and very 

 rarely, according to Huntsman (1930, ]). 3), one is reported in Hud- 

 son Bay itself. ^ 



As previously remarked, the berg stream becomes nuich dispersed|J^ 

 in the offing of Hudson Strait. The outer ber<rs mav for a time lie in 



