Surface Movements in Canadian Arctic Waters
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I SURFACE MOVEMENTS IN CANADIAN ARCTIC WATERS WITH SOME ACCOMPANYING TEMPERATURE AND SALINI'FY OBSERVAlilONS by R.H. Herlinveaux ENVIRONMENT CANADA Fisheries and Marine Service Marine Sciences Directorate Pacific Region 1230 Government St. S.c. Victoria t MARINE SCIENCES DIRECTORATE, PACIFIC REGION PACIFIC MARINE SCIENCE REPORT SURFACE MOVEMENTS IN CANADIAN ARCTIC WATERS WITH SOME ACCOMPANYING TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS by R. H. Her1inveaux Victoria, B. C. Marine Sciences Directorate, Pacific Region Environment Canada February, 1974 This is a. manuscript which has received only limited circulation. On citing this report in a bibliography, the title should be followed by the words "UNPUBLISHED MANUSCRIPT" which is in accordance with accepted bib liographic custom. - 1 - SURFACE MOVEMENTS IN CANADIAN ARCTIC WATERS WITH SOME ACCOMPANYING TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY OBSERVATIONS INTRODUCTION Since 1949, the Pacific Oceanographic Group (formerly a part of Fisheries Research Board, now part of the Marine Sciences Directorate), in conjunction with the Pacific Naval Laboratory (now Defence Research Establishment, Pacific DREP) of the Defence Research Board, has been interested and active in Arctic oceanographic research. Most of the research involved a study of acoustic conditions in the Canadian Arctic and its approaches. As a byproduct of these studies, surface-water- movement obser vations were carried out whenever the opportunity arose. Interest in surface water movements over the last few years has been due to the development of resources, especially petroleum resources, in the Arctic and has resulted in an in crease in interest, making desirable that all the data collected be assembled into a single report. The observations were time series varying from a few hours to several days. The position numbers of these observations are shown in Figure 1. The following methods were used to observe the water movement from aboard ship: 1. Tracking ice drift by radar. 2. Plotting ship drift by radar. 3. Operating a current meter at about 2 metres depth while at anchor and using ship's heading for direction of flow. - 2 - The results are presented along with some oceanographic data collected simultaneously for August- September of 1954, 196 3, 196 7 and 196 8. 1954 RESULTS A joint U. S. -Canadian operation was carried out during 1954 in the area from Bering Strait to Amundsen Gulf, M'Clure Strait and Viscount Melville Sound. Ekman current meter and Chesapeake Bay drag observations were taken at locations 1-12. Unfortunately, the file containing the original data is missing and only the rough summary of the information, found in the cruise report, is presented below. (1) Icy Cape (Alaska): September 16 to 19, 1954. The ship was anchored for four days. During this period the wind blew from the west to west- north- west up to a maximum of 38 knots, while at times was calm. The surface current direction 0 altered through 135 but did not reverse from the general easterly set of 1. 0 to 2. 0 knots. (2) Point Barrow (Alaska): August 4, 1954. While at anchor off Point Barrow, the ship experienced a strong northeasterly se t of approximately 1. 0 knot. (3) Barter Island (Alaska): August 6 and 7, 1954. There was a strong westerly set of between 1. 0 and 2. 0 knots during a 26 - hour period. (4) Cape Kellette (Banks Island): August 9, 1954. The ship - 3 - expe rience d a strong weste rly set in most areas along the south-west coast of Banks Island. The sand spit formations along and onto Cape Kellette , a result of beach sand trans port, leads one to believe that the we sterly set is a con siste nt fe ature . (5 ) Sachs Harbor Area (Banks Island) : August la, 195 4. A strong we ste rly se t of approximate ly 1. 5 knots was experie nce d at all times in this are a. Again the configuration of the sandy fore shore supports the hypothesis that this westerly flow is a consiste nt feature . (6) Norway Island (We st Banks Island) : August la, 195 4. The flow was northerly along-shore and was apparently a continu ation of the flow moving around from southe rn Banks Island. (7) Gore Island (South of Gore Island, off West Banks Island) : August 11, 195 4. The flow was northerly along Banks Island - a continuation of the flow from the south. (8) Cape Prince Alfred (North Side) (West Banks Island) : August 12, 195 4. South-weste rly flow was experienced here of the order of 1. 0 to 2. 0 knots from the surface down to 3 metres. It was difficult to de termine whether this was a back-e ddy or the main flow. (9) Rodd He ad (North Banks Island) : August 18 and 19, 195 4. An easterly flow was experie nce d he re in the upper 10 0 me tres for the entire period of observation. At 10 0 metre s there was a reversal in flow note d which was assumed to be due to - 4 - tide change. The current speeds in this area had a maximum of 0.5 knots. (10) Cape Sandon (North Banks Island) : August 20, 195 4. An easterly flow was experienced here, with a suggestion of a weak tidal influence as the flow direction changed a smali amount at the expected turn of the tide. (11) Barnard Point (North Victoria Island) : August 26 to 31, 195 4. An easterly flow was experienced from the surface down to 30 metres. The surface flow showed a weak- tidal reversal for a short time but the movement was predominantly to the east. (12) Prince of Wales Straits: September 1 to 5, 195 4. A tidal flow was observed here with a dominant southerly net move ment. Current speeds up to about 1.0 to 1.5 knots were observed. 1963 RESULTS While DREP personnel were carrying out a research program in Prince Regent Inlet, the ice-breaker, CCGS John A. MacDonald was allowed to drift for the entire period September 3 to 7. Ship's officers plotted the drift of the ship. These results were recorded and made available for publication by 1st Officer J.D. Pottie. The results of these drift measurements are shown in the plot on Figure 2. (13) Prince Regent Inlet: September 3 to 7, 1963. There was a southwesterly set for the four-day period. The highest - 5 - speeds, 1.4 knots, were recorded on the 0000-0400 watch on September 5, 1963, while the slowest speed was 0.3 knots on the 120 0-160 0 watch of September 6, 1963. The total move ment for the period September 3 to 7, 1963 was 60 .9 miles, while the net movement to the southwest was 54 miles. The average speed for this period was 0.5 1 knots. 1967 RESULTS During August-September, 196.7 and 1968, the ice breaker CCGS Labrador was used to carry out several research projects in various areas of the Arctic Archipelago. At times during these studies, the ship was allowed to drift with the ice. At other times the ship was anchored, and drifting ice bergs were tracked by radar, or a current meter and salinometer were used to obtain surface (1 m) observations. (14) Craig Harbor (Jones Sound) : August 21, 1967. The ship was anchored for eight hours and the surface currents, temper ature and salinity were observed. A vector plot of the speed and direction is shown in Figure 3. The tide flooded northward and ebbed southward. The average flood was 0.4 knots and ebb 1.1 knots. Maximum flood was 0.5 knots and ebb 0.5 knots. The temperature, salinities, and current speed and direction are shown in Figure 4. The salinities decreased on the flood, then gradually increased on the ebb and then decreased again until the end of the observations, as though a cloud of low salinity water was going by. The - 6 - ° surface temperature started around -0 .6 C and oscillated up and down between obs ervations while the temperature grad ually increas ed over the obs ervation period to a maximum of ° -0 .0 2 C. (lS) Eureka Sound - Slidre Fiord: Augus t 23-24 and 26-27, 1967. The Labrador was anchored in Slidre Fiord off the weather station at Eureka for two periods , during which current speed and direction, temperature, and salinity were recorded. Figure SA and SB are vector plots of the water movements pas t the ship on Augus t 23-24 and Augus t 26-27, 1967. The tidal influence appears to be small with the greatest speeds occurring during the predicted ebb tide. From the few obs ervations, it als o appears that the circulation off the weather station was clockwis e in direction. Shown in Figures 6 and 7 are the current speed and direction, temper atures , and salinities for the two periods . Both sets of obs ervations show non-periodic os cillations. During August 23-24, the maximum and minimum temperatures and salinities o o were O.OO C and 0.8S C and 24.8% and 16.6% res pectively. During Augus t 26-27 the maximum and minimum temperatures and o o salinities were 0.8S C and 0.30 C and 30 .0 % and 24.6% re spectively. Definite warming occurred between the two series , and the salinity als o increas ed. While the ship was in Slidre Fiord, icebergs were drifting down Eureka Sound acros s the mouth of Slidre Fiord. One large berg was tracked and the res ults are shown in Figure - 7 - SC. The drift was southerly, with a maximum speed of 0.60 knots and an average of 0.22 knots for the 8-hour period.