After icebergs calve off of Greenland's glaciers, they drift into the Baffin Bay and Labrador Sea and eventually follow the Labrador Current. South of the Grand Banks, the remnants of the Labrador Current interact with the Gulf Stream and warm-core eddies from the Gulf Stream. The water temperature of the North Atlantic ranges from -1.7 degrees C in the Labrador Current to 20 degrees C in the Gulf Stream. The cold meanders of the Labrador Current support icebergs commonly as far south as 41 N latitude. When icebergs encounter the warm temperatures of the Gulf Stream, they usually melt very rapidly. However, in 1926, the southernmost known iceberg reached 30-20 N, 62-32 W (about 150 nm from Bermuda). In addition, icebergs have also been known to travel as far east as the Azores. The first two images below show the Labrador Current's origin and how it moves south along the Labrador Coast and then splits up around the Grand Banks south east of Newfoundland.

The circulation in the area where the Labrador current and Gulf Stream meet is very complex, therefore the average paths shown in the above figures cannot be used to predict iceberg movement. The U.S. Navy provides an analysis of the ocean features in the northwest Atlantic Ocean. It shows the complexity of the region where the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream meet.

The image above shows the interaction between the Labrador Current and the Gulf Stream. Click here latest Gulf Stream analysis. The Labrador Current has been colored blue; the Gulf Stream has been colored red; and land has been colored green. The limits of all known ice for that day are shown in bold black.

This area is closely monitored by the Ice Patrol by using drifting buoys (see FAQ #2 under IIP Oceanography) and AXBTs. (below picture)