The Davis Strait - DCE - Nationalt Center for Miljø og Energi

Figure 3.3.4. Major iceberg
sources and general drift pattern
in the West Greenland Waters.
Data source: US National Ice
Center (NIC).
A study in the late 1970s on iceberg masses that occur on the western coast
of Greenland observed low iceberg mass (0.3-0.7 million tonnes, max.: 2.8
mil. tonnes) in the area between 64º and 66º N compared with iceberg masses
north and south of the area (Nazareth & Steensboe 1998 and references
therein). The year-to-year variability in distribution of multi-year sea ice and
the presence of the Irminger current in the Davis Strait therefore concurrently
determine the amount and size of icebergs reaching the assessment area.
Studies of the iceberg distribution at the Fyllas Banke area in summer 2000
by Karlsen et al. (2001) were predominantly of bergy bits and growlers
types, mostly entering the area from southerly to northeasterly directions.
More than 200 icebergs were observed during the summer period and presumably
represent a normal seasonal iceberg conditions. Other studies of the
iceberg distribution on the west coast of Greenland are from the late 70’ties,
and summarized in later reports (Valeur et al. 1996, Karlsen et al. 2001).
The majority of icebergs from Jakobshavn Isbræ, Disko Bay are carried
northward to northeastern Baffin Bay and Melville Bay before heading
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