The University of Bergen chartered the Norwegian ice-breaker MS Polarsirkel in early December 1977 to conduct oceanographic experiments at the Polar ice-edge north of Spitsbergen. Figure 1 indicates the working area. The aims of the experiment were to study the structure of the upper layers of the water column in the vicinity of an ice-edge in winter and to search for wind-generated upwelling along the ice-edge. In this connection we took current measurements in the open upper layers. Figure 2 shows the open area (polynia). At the time of the experiment the air temperature was about − 26°C and the sea surface temperature − 1 °C.