A small Arctic whale with a spiral tusk.
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LABRADOR CURRENT
Originating from cold arctic water flowing southeastward through Davis Strait at speeds of 0.2 to 0.5 knot and from a westward branching of the warmer West Greenland Current, the Labrador Current flows south eastward along the shelf of the Canadian coast. Part of the current flows into Hudson Strait along its north shore. The outflow of fresh water along the south shore of the strait augments the part of the current flowing along the Labrador coast. The current also appears to be influenced by surface outflow from inlets and fjords along the Labrador coast. The mean speed is about 0.5 knot, but current speed at times may reach 1.5 to 2.0 knots.
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ARCTIC
Of or pertaining to the arctic, or intense cold
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AIR-MASS CLASSIFICATION
Air masses are classified according to their source regions. Four such regions are generally recognized- (1) equatorial (E), the doldrum area between the north and south trades; (2) tropical (T), the trade wind and lower temperate regions, (3) polar (P), the higher temperate latitudes; and (4) Arctic or Antarctic (A), the north or south polar regions of ice and snow. This classification is a general indication of relative temperature, as well as latitude of origin. Air masses are further classified as maritime (m) or continental (c), depending upon whether they form over water or land. This classification is an indication of the relative moisture content of the air mass. A third classification sometimes applied to tropical and polar air masses indicates whether the air mass is warm (w) or cold (k) relative to the underlying surface. The w and k classifications are primarily indications of stability, cold air being more stable.
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ANTARCTIC AIR
A type of air whose characteristics are developed in an Antarctic region. Antarctic air appears to be colder at the surface in all seasons, and at all levels in fall and winter, than ARCTIC AIR.
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ANTARCTIC WHITEOUT
The obliteration of contrast between surface features in the Antarctic when a covering of snow obscuring all landmarks is accompanied by an overcast sky, resulting in an absence of shadows and an unrelieved expanse of white, the earth and sky blending so that the horizon is not distinguishable. A similar occurrence in the Arctic is called ARCTIC WHITEOUT.
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ARCTIC FRONT
The semi-permanent, semi-continuous front between the deep, cold arctic air and the shallower, generally less cold polar air of northern latitudes; generally comparable to the ANTARCTIC FRONT of the Southern Hemisphere.
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ARCTIC AIR
A type of air which develops mostly in winter over the arctic. Arctic air is cold aloft and extends to great heights, but the surface temperatures are often higher than those of POLAR AIR. For 2 or 3 months in summer arctic air masses are shallow and rapidly lose the characteristics as they move southward.
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ARCTIC WHITEOUT
The obliteration of contrast between surface features in the Arctic when a covering of snow obscuring all landmarks is accompanied by an overcast sky, resulting in an absence of shadows and an unrelieved expanse of white, the earth and sky blending so that the horizon is not distinguishable. A similar occurrence in the Antarctic is called ANTARCTIC WHITEOUT.
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EAST GREENLAND CURRENT
An ocean current flowing southward along the east coast of Greenland carrying water of low salinity and low temperature. The East Greenland Current is joined by most of the water of the Irminger Current. The greater part of the current continues through Denmark Strait between Iceland and Greenland, but one branch turns to the east and forms a portion of the counterclockwise circulation in the southern part of the Norwegian Sea. Some of the East Greenland Current curves to the right around the tip of Greenland, flowing northward into Davis Strait as the WEST GREENLAND CURRENT. The main discharge of the Arctic Ocean is via the East Greenland Current.
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NORTH FRIGID ZONE
That part of the earth north o the Arctic Circle.
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