Reports on Ice in Sea and Oceans

Abstract

THE report on the state of the ice in the Arctic seas during 1909, published by the Danish Meteorological Institute, possesses more than usual interest on account of Admiral Peary's remarkable sledge journeys in the spring of that year. It summarises the conditions for each month, so far as known from reports supplied by traders to those parts, with maps for April-August inclusive. The state of the ice was unfavourable in Barents Sea and round Spitsbergen, while in the Greenland Sea and Denmark Strait the ice boundary was much more westerly than usual. The coasts of Iceland were almost free of ice, but much was observed off Newfoundland and on the Transatlantic steamer routes. On the south-east of Greenland and in the North American archipelago conditions were very favourable; in the Bering Sea they were about normal, and in the Beaufort Sea rather favourable, especially towards the middle of the summer. It is inferred that the amount of ice along the south-east of Greenland will be somewhat small in 1910, and that favourable conditions along the south-west coast of Greenland may result during the summer of this year.