OCEANOGRAPHIC CONDITIONS 

 IN THE GRAND BANKS REGION AND THE LABRADOR SEA 



IN 1939 



By Floyd M. Soule ^ 



The General Greene departed from Woods Hole on March 21' 

 proceeding to St. John's, Newfoundland, where she arrived on March 

 25. After fuel and supplies had been taken on departure was taken 

 from St. John's on March 29 for the purpose of making a current 

 survey of the Grand Banks region. Few bergs had been reported 

 but as a considerable quantity of field ice had been reported between 

 the northeastern edge of the Banks and Flemish Cap with patches 

 extending as far south as the Tail of the Banks, it seemed probable 

 that bergs caught in the field ice would soon be freed in positions 

 favorable to their southward travel toward the steamer lanes via the 

 Labrador Current which seemed to be flowing with considerable 

 vigor. It w^as therefore planned to begin the survey at the northern 

 end as near the field ice as possible and work southward. The first 

 section was not expected to be possible of occupation on account. of 

 field ice, but contrary to expectations this region was free of ice and 

 the work of collection of data was begun at station 2848 on March 

 30. At the first five stations temperature conditions were severe 

 enough to freeze the water in the Nansen water bottles as tliey came 

 on deck and the bottles had to be taken below into the laboratory to 

 thaw them out and get the water samples. The unprotected ther- 

 mometers (whose outer cases are filled with water) had to receive 

 similar treatment. This resulted in much additional labor and some 

 delay. Worse than this there was some uncertainty that the salinities 

 determined from the samples which had been frozen and thawed 

 out truly represented the salinity distribution in situ. Ultimate 

 results indicated, however, that the validity of the current map was 

 unaffected. 



No major hitcrruptions occured and the work of collection of data 

 was completed at station 2901 on April 8, a total of 54 stations havmg 

 been occupied. The resulting current m.ap was ready for delivery 

 12 K hours after the occupation of the last station but the patrol 

 cutter Cham/plain could not be reached until about 2 hours later. 

 The map was then delivered aboard the Champlain on the morning 

 of April 9 and the General Greene proceeded to St. John's where she 



1 Contribution No. 256 of tlie Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. 



(79) 



