James Brown wrote:

Noticed on the latest SST Bracknell charts a very tight gradient to the
west of Iceland - from 8 degrees to ice in what must be less than 100
miles! It looks as if the NAD is curling (sorry for lack of technical
term!) back more than I remember it in that region.

http://www.wetterzentrale.de/pics/brack5.html

Cheers
James

Nothing unusual in a tight gradient in that area. The difference I notice
from the 60s is that the gradient is further from Iceland than it used to
be and, as you point out, the east-going warm offshoot of the NAD is more
noticeable than I remember. The bulk of warm current west of Iceland - the
Irminger Current - usually turns SW to parallel the Greenland coast
alongside the East Greenland Current.

I vaguely recall from the 60s a report from a ship in that area of a
10-degree difference in SST from stem to stern!

--
Graham P Davis, Bracknell, Berks., UK. E-mail: newsman, not newsboy.
"What use is happiness? It can't buy you money." [Chic Murray, 1919-85]