Peter Clarke wrote:
An interesting satellite picture - thanks to Bernard for drawing our
attention to it. Unfortunately,( or fortunately, according to one's
point of
view) the extent of the ice is a pale imitation of its extent in the
late
1960s and early 1970s when it was close to Jan Mayen ( about 71deg N,
8deg
W) in late winter and occasionally reached the coast of north
Iceland. I
believe its maximum extent is reached at about the end of March or
early
April. Keep watching.

Sea ice had been pretty much absent from the coasts of Iceland from the
ice winter of 1918 until the early sixties, but since then until around
1990 ice approached the coast of Iceland more or less every year and in
1968 the sea ice went past the eastern shore of Iceland and if you
stood at the lagoon on Breiðamerkursandur you had ice on both sides,
on the lagoon and on the shore.
The period 1960 to 1990 was a miniature ice age of sorts, the glaciers
started increasing again, there was snow on the ground for weeks and
sea ice off the coasts.
This winter seems to be pretty much alike that period, even the people
of Westman island got snow, and we have sea ice off the north shore
again.
And you people keep talking about global warming, brr.


Peter Clarke
Ewell 55m