reconnaissance patrols detected during the 2004 

 season. Reconnaissance detachments detected 

 a total of LI 27 icebergs; 35% (389) were 

 identified with radar alone (not seen visually) 

 while the remaining 657r (738) were identified 

 using a combination of visual and radar 

 information or by visual means alone. This 

 data demonstrates Ice Patrol's reliance on radar 

 information. 



Figure 13. Breakdown of targets detected by IRDs in 

 2004. 



The Grand Banks are a major fishing 

 area frequented by fishing vessels ranging in 

 size from 60 to over 200 feet. Determining 

 whether a radar contact is an iceberg or a vessel 

 is difficult with small vessels and small 

 icebergs. These small contacts sometimes 

 create similar radar returns and cannot be 

 differentiated. Therefore, when a radar image 

 does not present clear, distinguishing features, 

 Ice Patrol classifies the contact as a radar 

 target. 



The Grand Banks region has been 

 rapidly developed for its oil reserves since 

 1997. In November 1997. Hibemia. a gravity- 

 based oil production platform, was set in 

 position approximately 1 50 NM offshore on the 

 northeastern portion of the Grand Banks. In 

 addition to Hibemia. other drilling facilities — 

 including Glomar Grand Banks. Terra Nova, 

 and Henry Goodrich — are routinely on the 

 Grand Banks. Consequently, this escalated 

 drilling has increased air and surface traffic in 

 HP's area of responsibility. further 

 complicating iceberg reconnaissance. 



Oceanographic Operations 



Ice Patrol's oceanographic operations 

 peaked in the 1960s when the U.S. Coast Guard 

 dedicated substantial surface ship resources to 

 collecting oceanographic data. Since that time, 

 however, HP's involvement in oceanographic 

 surveys on the Grand Banks has declined. The 

 decline is a result of numerous factors, three of 

 which are the most significant. First, increased 

 competition among various U.S. Coast Guard 

 missions made it increasingly difficult for IIP 

 to obtain the ship resources necessary to 

 continue extensive oceanographic surveys. 

 Second, because the capability and reliability of 

 air-deployable oceanographic instruments has 

 improved vastly. Ice Patrol can collect 

 oceanographic data without the aid of surface 

 ships. Finally, the wide availability of 

 oceanographic information now on the internet 

 enables personnel to focus more narrowly on 

 Ice Patrol's primary mission of iceberg 

 reconnaissance. 



In 2004, IIP collected oceanographic 

 data using air- and ship-deployed satellite- 

 tracked drifting buoys and AXBTs. The AXBT 

 probes measured the water temperature profile, 

 which helped Ice Patrol determine the location 

 of the Labrador Current, validate temperatures 

 from satellite-tracked drifting buoys, and obtain 

 precise SSTs for numerical models. Figure 14 

 describes the development of HP's AXBT 



CD 



Figure 14. AXBT drops and failure rates (2000-2004). 



11 



