Stuart

I don't think it necessarily means anything except that this winter's
circulations patterns (surface winds) have tended to concentrate sea ice in
this area. There are other areas in the polar region that normally have sea
ice at this time of year and don't have any this year. We have had higher
pressure than normal over the mid atlantic during much of the late winter
and this has produced a lot more south-westerly winds than normal along the
south-east coast of Greenland. The sea ice that has formed in this area has
been shovelled (technical term there) north-east to meet the ice that pushes
down from the north along the east Greenland coast and it has all ended
bunched up near Iceland, hence the "ice bridge".

If this is accepted as the first Greenland / Iceland ice bridge since
1968/69 (or whenever, I think that is a disputed date) then no doubt the
global warming lobby will start saying that it was caused by global warming
whilst the anti-global warming lobby will say it's proof that it isn't
happening. IMHO unless you happen to be trying to circumnavigate Iceland at
present the significance of this is pretty close to zero. It's interesting
news to be sure, but it doesn't have to mean anything.

Martin
Guernsey


"Stuart Turrell" wrote in message
...
sorry to sound stupid, but what does this mean?

More ice caps melting?


"Bernard Burton" wrote in message
...
This aftrenoon's noaa16 image shows that drift ice has reached the
northwest
coast of Iceland.
The area can be seen on:
http://www.btinternet.com/~wokingham...57-f-ic-n.html

--
Bernard Burton
Wokingham, Berkshire, UK.

Satellite images at:
www.btinternet.com/~wokingham.weather/wwp.html