41 



which has recurved northeastward between sections T and U. The 

 westerly current through section W represents that part of the flow 

 past section U which has not recurved although occasionally aug- 

 mented by the borders of a closed counterclockwise eddy south of the 

 Tail of the Grand Banks. 



Sections T and U have been occupied during the months of April, 

 May, and June of each of the years 1934, 1935, and 1936. Section W 

 has been occupied during April and May of each of these 3 years and 

 in June 1934. The volume of flow, the mean temperature, and the 

 minimum temperature have been investigated for each occupation of 

 these sections and the results are tabulated below. 



Table 1. — Shoiving volume of flow in million cubic meters per second, mean tem,- 

 peratiire in °C, and minimum temperature in °C, of the Labrador Current in the 

 Grand Banks region 



April: 

 Vol 



Mean Temp.. 



Min. Temp... 

 May: 



Vol 



Mean Temp.. 



Min. Temp... 

 June: 



Vol. 



Mean Temp.. 



Min. Temp... 



Section T 



1.8 

 1.63 

 -1.66 



1.5 

 2.6 

 -1.72 



2.1 



1.67 



-1.71 



4,1 



2.85 

 -1.56 



2.71 



2.06 



-1.50 



1.86 

 0.98 

 -0.75 



3.15 

 2.90 

 -1.47 



1.92 

 1.39 

 -1.37 



2.94 

 2.43 

 -1.24 



2.44 



2.75 



-1.56 



Section U 



3.48 

 1.11 

 -1.37 



3.11 

 1.56 

 -1.70 



0.84 

 1.32 

 -1.65 



Section W 



1.08 



2.72 



-1.12 



3.87 



1.47 



-1.02 



3.13 

 2.61 

 0.02 



8.78 

 2.85 

 0.08 



1.79 

 2.17 

 -0.75 



4.76 

 1.80 

 -0.84 



An inspection of the above table shows that although the mean 

 temperature and the minimum temperature do not show very con- 

 sistent trends, the volume of flow does. The volume-time relation is 

 shown graphically in figure 29 for each ice season and for each of the 

 sections T, U, and W. Smooth curves have been drawn and although 

 the exact course of any curve between points is somewhat conjectm'al 

 the curves illustrate that there is a strildng uniformity in the sugges- 

 tion of a seasonal maximum volume of flow about the middle of May. 

 At least they do not preclude the existence of such a maximum. 

 Curves are also shown representing the 3-year average for each of the 

 sections. It will be noted that the volume of flow was above this 

 average throughout the season of 1936 at each of the sections. As the 

 curves in figure 29 have been drawn the time of the maximum is slightly 

 earlier for section U than for either sections T or W. It is doubtful 

 that this tune difl'erence is significant in view of the small number of 

 data considered. It may nevertheless be real and if so is connected 

 with the Grand Banks whorl. It is possible that this whorl, which is 

 centered near the shoalest part of the Grand Banks, is accelerated by 

 vernal warming just prior to the arrival of the true freshet from north 

 of the Grand Banks. 



