May 1983 



The warm temperatures of April (see Table 4) 

 helped to trigger the break-up of pack-ice con- 

 centrations east of Newfoundland. By 17 May, 

 the ice edge had receded north of 50°N (Figure 

 8). As the sea ice broke up, the icebergs 

 trapped in the pack were released and an in- 

 creased flow of bergs south over the Grand 

 Banks occurred (Figures 19 and 20). This month 

 586 new bergs were sighted with 465 bergs 

 drifting south of 48°N. At the end of the month, 

 215 bergs remained on computer plot with the 

 limit of all known ice extending south to 42°N. 



June 1983 



With above normal temperatures throughout 

 the spring months, the sea ice continued to 

 recede northward. By the middle of the month, 

 there was no sea ice left south of 53 °N (Figure 

 9). The concentration of bergs in the Grand 

 Banks region remained high throughout the 

 month as the bergs emerged from the melting 

 pack ice and the limit of all known ice showed 

 little movement northward (Figures 21 and 22). 

 The number of new icebergs sighted this month 

 dropped from the previous month to 292. A total 

 of 168 bergs drifted south of 48°N. At the end of 

 the month, 140 bergs remained on computer 

 plot. 



July 1983 



Figure 10 illustrates the sea ice conditions 

 on 12 July. A comparison of Figures 9 and 10 

 shows the rapid deterioration of the pack-ice 

 during this period. The concentration of bergs 



in the Grand Banks region, on the other hand, 

 showed no trend towards diminishing (Figures 

 23 and 24) although the southernmost limits 

 moved northward from 41 ° to 44°N. A total of 

 407 bergs were sighted during the month, and 

 76 bergs drifted south of 48°N. Still, 110 bergs 

 remained on computer plot on 31 July. 



August 1983 



The southern limit of the sea ice had receded 

 to nearly 60°N by the middle of the month 

 (Figure 11) and most of the ice remaining south 

 of 60°N was concentrated in belts and patches 

 of thin, first year ice. The southern limit of 

 icebergs continued to move northward to 48°N 

 during the month (Figure 25). By 25 August only 

 13 bergs (Figure 26) remained on plot. A total of 

 58 bergs had been sighted during August and 

 only 4 of these had drifted south of 48°N. 

 Based on these facts and the lack of icebergs 

 south of 48°N, Commander, International Ice 

 Patrol declared the 1983 season officially 

 closed on 25 August 1983. 



September 1983 



Although the 1983 season ended during 

 August, CMP continued to receive iceberg 

 sighting reports into September and entered 

 them onto their computer plot as post-season 

 entries. A total of 10 bergs were sighted in the 

 IIP area prior to 13 September. None of these 

 bergs drifted south of 48°N and the computer 

 plot was discontinued on 13 September. Also 

 sea ice continued to deteriorate during the 

 month (Figure 12), and by 20 September, all sea 

 ice was north of Hudson Strait (62°N). 



