A snapshot of the Labrador current inferred from ice‐floe movement in NOAA satellite imagery

Abstract

Ice floes along the Labrador Coast were tracked using visible NOAA satellite images on two consecutive days (26 and 27 April, 1984) when the ice‐pack extended beyond the Labrador Current, and winds were weak. The resulting “snapshot” of the velocity field reveals strong topographic steering of the Labrador Current, such that the current speed and width in different areas are dependent on the steepness of the continental slope, and the current deflects into and out of Hopedale Saddle. Between 55 and 58°N, the main core of the current is 60–90 km wide, with speeds of 30–55 cm s^?1. The overall circulation pattern is in good agreement with historical water mass analyses over the shelf and slope, and with estimates of the speed of the Labrador Current obtained by other methods.