Report of the International Ice Patrol in the North Atlantic. 1983 Season Bulletin Number 69

Abstract

From 28 February to 27 August 1983, the International Ice Patrol (IIP), an office of the U.S. Coast Guard, conducted the International Ice Patrol Service, which has been provided annually since the sinking of the RMS TITANIC on April 15, 1912. During the past years, Coast Guard ships and/or aircraft have patrolled the shipping lanes off Newfoundland within the area 40 deg N-52 deg N, 39 deg W-57 deg W, detecting icebergs and warning mariners of these hazards. Side Looking Airborne Radar (SLAR), was introduced into Ice Patrol duty during the 1983 season. It proved to be an excellent tool for the detection of both icebergs and sea ice, and provided 97 percent of the 1983 iceberg sightings. The iceberg population was greater than normal this year due, in part, to lower than normal temperatures recorded throughout Newfoundland and Labrador which hindered the melting process of the sea ice and extended its limits farther south. A combination of northerly winds in the Labrador Sea combined with generally southwesterly and westerly winds off the Newfoundland coast also hindered the breakup of the sea ice, which protected the icebergs, allowing them to drift farther south and in larger numbers.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 1983
Accession Number
ADA259815

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Coast Guard

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Air Platforms
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Atlantic Ocean
  • Coast Guard
  • Detection
  • Geography
  • North Atlantic Ocean
  • Oceanography
  • Oceans
  • Plastic Explosives
  • Sea Ice
  • Sea Surface Temperature
  • Sea Water
  • Side Looking Radar
  • Surface Temperature
  • Symbols
  • Topography
  • United Kingdom
  • United States

Fields of Study

  • Environmental science

Readers

  • Atmospheric Science/Meteorology
  • Maritime Security/Maritime Homeland Security
  • Polar and Arctic Studies