OCEANOGRAPHY 

 The Grand Banks Region, Labrador Sea, and Davis Strait in 1938 



By Floyd M. Soule i 



On March 23, 1938, the General Greene departed from Woods Hole, 

 and, after stopping at Halifax with parts for the patrol cutters, pro- 

 ceeded to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland to take up her duties 

 as oceanographic vessel of the International Ice Patrol Force. As a 

 part of this work a current survey was begun on March 31, at sta- 

 tion 2541 located at 43°34' N., 53°45' W. During the month of 

 March the reported positions of ice indicated that the major branch 

 of the Labrador Current shifted from the abnormal course along the 

 Avalon Peninsula of Newfoundland to the normal course along the 

 eastern edge of the Grand Banks. However, as there was a possi- 

 bility that some berg ice had drifted south from Cape Race prior to 

 the shift, and because surface temperature- reports indicated the 

 presence of large quantities of Labrador Current water south and 

 southwest of the Tail of the Grand Banks, it seemed desirable to 

 investigate the current situation in the southwestern sector on this 

 first survey. Accordingly, the work of collection of data progressed 

 from the position of the first station given above southeastward around 

 the Tail and then northward along the eastern edge of the Banks. 



Excellent conditions of wind, sea, and visibility held from the be- 

 ginning of the station work until April 7, on which date conditions 

 got progressively worse and, after completion of station 2582 in lati- 

 tude 44°24' N., longitude 49°32' W., the vessel was hove to at 2140 in 

 a blinding snow driven by a force 7 wind accompanied by a rough 

 sea. After 40 hours, during which the vessel had been blown about 

 100 miles south-southeastward, conditions had improved sufficiently 

 to proceed toward the next station where the work of collection of 

 data was resumed at 0600 on April 10 under unfavorable conditions, 

 which again grew worse. Station work was completed at station 2590 

 located at 44°52' N., 46°46' W., on April 11, a total of 50 stations 

 having been occupied. As the time during which the vessel had been 

 hove to on the 8th and 9th had been applied in working up the data 

 collected prior to that time, the current map was soon completed and 

 ready for delivery on April 11, although the patrol cutter Tahoe could 

 not be reached until 1010 on April 12. Having delivered the current 

 chart aboard the Tahoe, the General Greene then proceeded to St. 

 John's, where she arrived on April 13. 



' Contribution No. 215 of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 



(113) 



