Report on the Dominion Government Expedition to Hudson Bay and the Arctic Islands on board the D.G.S. Neptune, 1903-1904

by A. P. Low

Rafted Ice in Roes Welcome, June, 1904.

Similar currents follow the shores of Baffin bay and Davis strait; on the east, or Greenland side, the flow is northward, while along the west side or that of the Arctic islands the current is southward, and carries on its surface great quantities of heavy field ice formed in these northern waters, together with extensive masses of Arctic ice which have passed south or east through the wide sounds connecting the northern parts of Baffin bay with the Arctic ocean. Many icebergs discharged from the northern glaciers are also found in this heavy ice of the ‘middle pack’ of Baffin bay and Davis strait. This Arctic current closely follows the eastern shores of Baffin island, branches of it sweeping into Cumberland gulf and Frobisher bay. When it reaches the latitude of the mouth of Hudson strait, the part adjacent to the land turns westward through the channel between Resolution island and the north shore of the strait, while another stream sweeps westward around the island of Resolution, where, meeting the current flowing out of the strait, the strong cross currents, tides and ‘overfalls’ noted by the earliest navigators are formed.

The main stream of the Arctic current passes southward across the mouth of Hudson strait, and forms the northern current of the Atlantic coast of Labrador. It bears on its surface the wide stream of ice which in the summer forms the ‘middle pack’ of Baffin bay, and which later in the year passes the mouths of Cumberland gulf and Frobisher bay, and in November, or early in December, closes the eastern entrance to Hudson strait. At that time a considerable area of this northern ice may enter the eastern part of the strait, but is prevented from completely filling the strait by the amount of locally formed ice already covering its waters. Continuing southward on the current, this stream of ice, often upwards of fifty miles in width, blocks the coast of Labrador during the early months of the year, and by the end of March arrives off the coasts of Newfoundland, bearing on its surface an immense number of newly-born seals to make the important seal fishery of Newfoundland. Part of this ice is carried through the Strait of Belle Isle into the northern portion of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while the greater portion passes south along the east coast of Newfoundland to Cape Race. Here the western part of the ice is deflected to the westward along the southern shores of the island, and finally enters the southern part of the Gulf of St. Lawrence, while the remainder is soon melted in the warmer waters of the Atlantic south of Newfoundland.

Ice commences to form in the smaller bays of the northern parts of Hudson bay and Hudson strait early in October, and by the end of that month the northern harbours are frozen over. The more southern ones, especially those at the mouths of the larger rivers, do not close until late in November or early in the following month. By the beginning of January, James bay is frozen across, and at the same time solid ice usually extends from the east coast of Hudson bay to the outer line of islands, some sixty or seventy miles from that coast. In other parts of Hudson bay, and in Hudson strait a margin of solid ice usually extends from one to five miles from the shore, except where the coast is high and bold with deep water close to the base of the cliffs. In such places, especially at headlands, solid ice does not form, and the natives in winter often have to make long and difficult detours inland to pass them.

The main body of Hudson bay does not freeze solid, and the same may be said of Hudson strait. Although this is the case, these waters are quite unnavigable for ordinary ships during the winter and spring months owing to the great sheets of heavy ice borne backwards and forwards by the tides and currents, and drifted about by the winter gales. There is little doubt that a specially constructed ship for ice navigation might pass through Hudson strait at any season, but the voyage would be a long one, and the difficulties and dangers would be great.

Ice in Cumberland Gulf. September, 1904.

The ice of Hudson bay and the greater part of that of Hudson strait is of local origin, being formed by the freezing of the surface of the sea near-by. Observations on the growth in thickness of the ice were made in Fullerton harbour throughout the winter of 1903-04, and a record of the weekly observations is given later in the report. These observations show that the thickness increases steadily until the month of June, when a maximum of seventy-four inches was measured. The conditions under which this was obtained were very favourable for the ice, and only in similarly protected northern harbours does it attain such a thickness. In the larger bays and along the unprotected coasts, where the ice freezes later, and is frequently broken up by gales during the winter, the thickness rarely exceeds three or four feet. This thinner ice makes up the greater part of that found in the spring-time covering the waters of Hudson bay and strait.

As the ice continues to increase until June, winter conditions continue well into that month, and it is not until its last days that the heat of the sun is sufficiently strong and sustained to begin the melting process. With the advent of July this process is well under way, and the daily change in the condition and amount of the ice is then marvellous, so much so, that where everything was fast frozen in the beginning of the month, by the middle not a vestige of ice remains.

If a single thickness of sheet ice covered these northern waters they would be completely clear early in July, but unfortunately much of the floating ice is ‘rafted’ or piled up, sheet on sheet, and the whole cemented solidly together to form large masses often twenty feet or more in thickness. This rafting is caused by the pressure formed by large masses of ice driven together, or against ice attached to the shores, which causes the ice along the margins to break and buckle, cake on cake. These pressure areas are often of considerable size, and usually are many times longer than broad. They serve as a framework to hold together large fields of single sheet ice. When the thinner ice melts, these pressure masses remain, and are dangerous to shipping until the water has become sufficiently warm to melt the ice cementing the cakes together; then they are harmless, as the slightest shock causes the mass to fall to pieces with a great commotion but with little danger. This disintegration is known as ‘calving.’