21 



46°49' N., longitude 43° W. It is estimated that 212 bergs drifted 

 south of latitude 48° N., this month and the distribution of bergs and 

 field ice is shown on the April Ice Chart. (See fig. 8.) 



MAY 1938 



The early days of May brought increasing numbers of bergs into 

 the area from the north and also the disappearance of field ice from 

 the area. These bergs spread everywhere over the northern edge of the 

 Banks from Cape Race east to longitude 46° W., north of latitude 

 46° N. There was some extension of the bergs south to latitude 45° 

 N., on the eastern slope but only a comparatively few got that far 

 and only one new berg drifted south of latitude 44° N., during this 

 entire month. The last half of May showed little real change. 

 Bergs continued to drift in from the north showing no particular 

 concentration in any one area but spreading generally over the north- 

 ern slopes of the Banks. Their movement was sluggish and mainly 

 showed a slow eastward drift along the northeastern shoulder of the 

 Banks. Even those few that moved south of latitude 45° N. have 

 drifted only slowly to the southeast and east into warmer water. 

 The increasing temperatures of the surface layers throughout the 

 area, due to the advancing season, began to be an important factor 

 in the destruction of bergs on the northern part of the Banks during 

 the last days of this month. Bergs were being melted there almost 

 as fast as they arrived, so that the number remained nearly constant. 

 The St. Lawrence Ice Patrol was discontinued on May 10 with the 

 disappearance of all the heavy floes from the gulf. Reports from the 

 Belle Isle, Newfoundland, area indicated heavy tight ice in the North 

 Channel and at Point Amour, Newfoundland, and Red Bay, Labrador. 

 May, as usual, proved to be the heaviest ice month. It is estimated 

 that 286 bergs drifted south of latitude 48° N., during the period. 

 The distribution of the bergs is graphically shown on the May Ice 



Chart. (See fig. 9.) 



JUNE 1938 



The ice situation for the month of June is characterized by decreas- 

 ing numbers of bergs entering the area and by the long southward 

 drifts of bergs across the steamer tracks and deep into the Atlantic 

 Current. (See fig. 10.) By the middle of the month there was a 

 sharp reduction in the number of bergs present and the combina- 

 tion of sluggish current on the northern slopes of the Banks and the 

 rapid warming of the surface layers by the summer sun was so destruc- 

 tive of ice that at the end of the month only 21 known bergs remained 

 in the area south of latitude 49° N. Only two of these were south 

 of latitude 47° N., both along the eastern slope of the Banks, and 

 none south of latitude 43° N. The remaining 19 bergs were strewn 

 in widely scattered positions north of latitude 47° N., from the 



