the eastern approaches and in the strait 

 itself. The retreat of the sea ice edge was 

 at a normal rate at first, but by mid month it 

 was a week ahead of normal. 



The month began with a formidable 

 iceberg population of nearly 250 icebergs 

 south of 48°N. However, during the next 

 two weeks, seasonal warming began to 

 take its toll. By mid month, the southern 

 LAKI retreated northward over 60 NM, and 

 the eastern limits moved westward about 

 70 NM. On 15 June, the southern limit was 

 near the 25th percentile for the date, while 

 the eastern limit was between the median 

 and the 75th percentile (page 37). More 

 importantly, the number of icebergs south 

 of 48°N declined precipitously to fewer 

 than 100 icebergs. During the second half 

 of June this population declined even 

 further, reaching 20 on 30 June. On this 

 date there was one iceberg holding the 

 southern LAKI at 42°N; however, the 

 closest iceberg was nearly 240 NM to the 

 north (page 38). The eastern LAKI at the 

 time was between the 75th percentile and 

 the median. 



In June, Ice Patrol estimated that 76 

 icebergs passed south of 48°N, slightly 

 below the monthly average of 85. 



July 



July brought Ice Patrol's 2003 ice 

 season to its finish. On 1 July, there were 

 22 icebergs and a single growler south of 

 48°N, most of which were north of 46°N. 

 The iceberg season closed on 17 July with 

 nine icebergs between 47°N and 48°N and 

 very few immediately to the north. When 

 the ice season closed, the southern LAKI 

 was between the minimum and the 75th 

 percentile, while the eastern limit was at 

 the 75th percentile. 



31. Ice Patrol's last 2003 ice 

 reconnaissance detachment returned from 

 Newfoundland on 13 July. Sea ice 

 departed Labrador's coast by 6 July, about 

 two weeks earlier than the norm. 



Summary 



With 927 icebergs estimated to have 

 passed south of 48°N, the 2003 iceberg 

 season falls into the extreme category 

 (>600 icebergs) as defined by Trivers 

 (1994). On the other hand, the 116-day 

 season length places 2003 into the lower 

 end of the average classification (105 to 

 180 days). According to the NSSI 

 proposed by Futch and Murphy (2002), the 

 2003 index was 2.70, which places it in the 

 moderate category. 



Icebergs arrived at 48°N in late 

 February, but early season indications, 

 such as the later than normal arrival of sea 

 ice in east Newfoundland waters and the 

 low early season iceberg counts, 

 suggested 2003 would be a light to 

 average iceberg season. The explosive 

 sea ice growth in March (Figure 20) and 

 the extraordinarily large iceberg counts in 

 April and May changed this notion 

 radically. Sea ice attained its maximum 

 areal extent at the end of the third week of 

 March, with the southern ice edge 

 approximately 60 NM south of Cape Race 

 and a narrow stream of ice in the offshore 

 branch of the Labrador Current well into 

 Flemish Pass, far south of its normal 

 position. 



Despite the vast mid-March ice 

 extent, the 2003 Total Accumulated Ice 

 Coverage (CIS, 2003), calculated by 

 summing the ocean area covered by sea 

 ice for all the weeks of the season, was 

 less than normal. 



Ten icebergs passed south of 48°N In many respects, 2003 was similar 



during July. The average for the month is to the 2002 iceberg season. In both years, 



21 



