The ice edge remained below Cape Race at 46N and on 13 March reached 

 its southernmost extension at 45-50N 53W. During the next week two 

 more flights were attempted but very few icebergs were observed due to 

 poor weather. On 20 March the pack ice east of Newfoundland lay 

 several miles offshore from Notre Dame Bay eastward and southward to 

 near 47-30N 52W then to 47N 48W, 51N 49W and northwestward. The 

 central pack was very close first year ice as far south as 49N with 

 lower concentrations of grey-white and grey ice along the edges. 

 Then on 23 and 25 March 80 icebergs were located as shown in figure 6. 

 Like earlier in the month, bergs were located in the eastern half of the 

 search areas. Meanwhile the sea ice had extended itself to its eastern- 

 most limit at 45-50N 46W on 24 March. By the end of March the limits 

 of all known ice had extended southward to 43-20N with 141 icebergs on 

 plot as shown in figure 7. It is estimated that 185 bergs had drifted 

 south of 48N in March 1972, the southernmost of which was at 43-21N and the 

 easternmost at 45-49N 39-14W. 



April 



During the first week of April, 340 icebergs were located by the 

 Ice Reconnaissance Detachment as shown in figure 8. It should he noted 

 that an easterly wind component concentrated the distribution of bergs 

 in the western half of the search areas. This tremendous gathering 

 exceeded the normal for an entire season and was only an indication of 

 things to come. The southernmost extension of sea ice was at 47N 48-50W 

 at this time and consisted of open to close pack grey-white and white ice. 

 The remainder was very close first year ice lying onshore from Cape 

 Bonavista through Notre Dame Bay and northward along the coast. This 

 began slowly receeding northward reaching 49-30N on 13 April. Then 

 with a shift in wind the sea ice advanced southward again to 47-30N 

 on 22 April. At the end of the month, the sea ice was concentrated just 

 above 48N extending eastward 200 miles (to 49W) . South of 49N and 

 immediately inside the pack edge to 52N the ice concentration varied 

 from open to very open pack. The remainder of the pack consisted of 

 very close first year ice, much of it 2-4 feet thick. Another good 

 series of flights was obtained by the Detachment during the week of 11 

 to 17 April locating 549 icebergs, 130 growlers and 37 radar targets 

 as shown in figure 9. The bergs, as a result of being subjected to a 

 norrthwesterly wind, were much more evenly distributed than as was 

 previously shown. The icebergs continued their southeastward march 

 reaching 40-40N 45-08W on 24 April. Then under the building influence 

 of a southwesterly wind, the bergs drifted out of the Labrador Current 

 and moved eastward and even east-northeastward for the remainder of the 

 month. The easternmost berg was located on the last day of the month 

 at 48-06N 41-27W. The iceberg limits at this time are shown in figure 10. 

 It is estimated that 501 icebergs drifted across 48N as compared to 82 

 for the April normal. 



10 



