The Geographical Position of the North Water

Abstract

The name North Water was coined by 19th century whalers, who knew it only in the spring. The Eskimos of the Thule and Etah districts have known it as a winter phenomenon restricting sledge travel but offering good hunting conditions. The mean conditions for Mar-June can now be figured from air observations since 1954 and satellite pictures of 1966-68. The north limit is extremely stable: a fast-ice bridge in a convex curve across the narrow head of Smith Sound which persists to late July-Aug, when a general break- up occurs in Kane Basin. The southern boundary is extremely variable and often poorly defined. There are no observations of a freeze-up date of winter extent of North Water.