Greenland and the Icecap

GREENLAND country facts

As almost anyone knows, Greenland is the biggest island in the world, 2.175.000 km², it streches from 60° to 83°40' North; i.e. 2600 km long, the most northern point (Odaaq, a tiny island) is only about 700 km away from the geographical northpole).

Why Greenland? It is not fully clear why Greenland is called that way; Iceland would have been a more suitable name for it. Maybe it is due to the fact that during the 8th century some exiles from Iceland went to an at that time unknown country with a harsh climate. But to make the officials in Iceland more or less jealous they said they lived in a wonderful green country.

Others say that Erik the Red, who went there from Iceland around 980 (in exile after being accused of murder), called it Greenland to attract new inhabitants.

Maybe it is true. There is also an other, more scientifical, explanation. It is true that before the year 1500 there was a milder climate in Greenland, in almost the whole northern hemisphere. So Greenland could have been more greener than it is today. After 1500 till 1800 there has been the called Short Ice-age. Temperatures dropped heavily, especially in Greenland; it dropped so low, that inhabitants from abroad, Normans, starved to death.

The third explanation is simple. The most southern part is in fact very green, you will find sheepfarms and a lot of green grass. It is not that strange, knowing that the southern tip lies at the same geographical height as Oslo (Norway) and St. Petersburg (Russia)

THE ICECAP

FACTS		
			Satellite image of Greenland (from NASA) 

• The Greenland icecap contains 1/8th of the total global ice-mass. The total ice-mass on earth is 30 million. cubic km; Antarctica has 27 million.cubic km; Greenland 2.5 million. cubic km.
• The mean heigth of the Greenland icecap: 2135 meters; 65% of the area lies above 2000 meters; That is why Greenland deserves the name most extreme highland in the world.
• Lowest recorded temperature: -70° C (1953 station Northice). Mean annual temperature: -20°C and -30°C: So the Greenland icecap is without any doubt the coldest place in the northern hemisphere, colder than the north pole. Although lowest temperature ever recorded in the northern hemisphere is -78° C Oimekon, Siberia. The world record was gained in Antarctica Station Vostok -88° C.

Because the snow-surface reflects most of the sunlight, the temperature is lowest near the snow and increases in upper air levels to 2 km. This is an exceptional situation because usually temperature decreases in higher air levels. The dome structure of the icecap causes cold air to flow constantly to lower areas at the edges. So, crossing the icecap you will always experience head wind until the top of the icecap and then backwind.

Above the seas around Greenland the air is less cold and thus creates a substantial difference in temperature and air-pressure between the coast and the inland. This can cause terrible storms: the feared Piteraqs. (more on the iceberg pages)

for more info on Greenland and the Arctic, click HERE

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