The lowest temperature in Greenland. Scientists have figured out how quickly Greenland will melt

The area of glaciers and ice sheets in Greenland is larger than Germany, France, Spain and Italy combined. If all of its ice melts, sea levels will rise by about 7 meters.

A new analysis of Greenland's temperature will help figure out how fast the island's vast ice sheet is melting. It was previously found to have been declining since 1900, and since 2003 the annual ice loss has doubled.

Greenland settlement. LouieLea | Shutterstock

To determine how fast the island's ice is melting in the present and will melt in the future, past and present surface air temperature data are needed, researchers Jack Reeves Eyre and Hubin Deng from the University of Arizona (USA) report.

“It is critical to understand the future of Greenland in the context of global climate change, as its condition significantly affects sea levels,” said lead author Reeves Eyre.

Calculating the mean annual surface temperature for all of Greenland is difficult to do. For most of the 20th century, the only weather stations were located along the coast. There was no inland network of weather stations in Greenland until 1995.

Other groups of researchers have used combinations of weather station data, remote sensing satellites, statistical analyzes, and climate models to calculate the annual temperature of the Earth's surface before 1901. However, there are significant differences between these analyses.

LouieLea | Shutterstock

Knowing past temperatures in Greenland is important for improving climate models, as scientists test regional and global climate models by seeing how well they show what the climate was like in the past.

Previous analyzes have given conflicting results, with some reporting that the 1930s were warmer than they are now, while other analyzes have suggested otherwise.

To get a more accurate estimate of temperature in the 20th century, scientists compared 16 different analyzes from 1901 to 2014 and used Additional information from meteorological stations and field expeditions. “This is the first time we've brought all these datasets together,” Deng said.

To avoid bias in the results due to temperature differences at different altitudes, the scientists divided the temperature data into three categories: coastal areas, areas below and above the level of 1500 meters.

The coastal regions of Greenland are ice-free throughout the year. At intermediate heights, the glaciers and ice sheet melt in summer and refreeze in winter; but due to rising temperatures, their annual reduction occurs. Above 1500 meters, the ice usually does not melt and may even gain mass. However, this small increase does not compensate for the loss of ice at lower altitudes. The new study resolves previous discrepancies and provides the best estimates of Greenland's past temperature.

"Having studied wide range available data and combining the two best analysis (MERRA2 And GISTEMP), we have developed a combination that most closely reflects the temperature distribution across Greenland from 1880 to 2016,” Reeves Eyre emphasized. Using this dataset The best way evaluate climate models and their forecast of temperature changes in Greenland”.

While some previous analyzes suggest that the 1930s were warmer than they are now, the new analysis suggests that the current temperature is warmer than it was in the 1930s. And in the long term, according to the authors, Greenland is expected to rise in temperature to unprecedented levels.

An article titled Evaluation of Greenland near surface air temperature datasets was published on July 5 in the open access journal The Cryosphere. The study was supported by NASA, the US Department of Energy and UA Agnese Nelms Haury Program.

There are many different states on our planet that differ in language, culture and other characteristics. But there are very few of those that are located on the islands, and are either separate countries or broad autonomies. The area of Greenland allows us to consider it the largest isolated state to date, located on our planet. But this is not the only circumstance that stimulates tourists.

Basic information

Where is Greenland located? Its shores are washed immediately by two and the Atlantic.

The island is located close to the Eurasian continent. Theoretically, Greenland is an integral part of Denmark, but in fact it is a large autonomy that has fairly broad rights in the field of self-government. The basic information is:

The total area of Greenland is 2,166,086 sq. km, but of all this "wealth" only 340 thousand km ₂ are suitable for life, since they have no ice.
The island is home to 57 thousand inhabitants, and 90% of them are Innuit, the "titular" nation, whose representatives have lived here since time immemorial. Therefore, the population of Greenland is quite homogeneous.
The capital is located in a city with an unusual name for a European, Nuuk.
Greenlandic has been the official language since 2009, before that it was supplemented by
The flag of Greenland is a red and white circle on the same background. The color scheme repeats the symbolism of Denmark.
The only official currency is the Danish krone.

If you want to call someone in Greenland then telephone code - (+299).

When was it opened?

But when this amazing island, in its weather hospitality capable of competing with Antarctica, was first discovered?

The first known mention dates back to 875. The Icelander Gunbjorn discovered the island. It is interesting that he only described his find, but did not leave any exact maps or other indications, since he did not go ashore. At that time, few people knew where Greenland was located, and this discovery did not arouse much interest. Times were turbulent then, the Vikings gradually conquered new territories...

Only in 982 on the shore of this amazing land for the first time another Icelander descended, Eirik Rowdy. It was he who gave the island its name. Thus, the active development of this area began.

Island colonization

In 983, the first Icelandic colonies were founded, which lasted until the middle of the 15th century! True, in fairness it is worth adding that the climate in those days was, oddly enough, milder. Therefore, Greenland was called the “green country” for a reason, because the summer lasted longer and the air temperature was higher.

So there were a lot of people who wanted to “move to permanent residence”. For four centuries (from the 13th to the 17th), this land belonged to Norway, but later went under Danish jurisdiction. In 1814, the Danes finally terminated the union (something like a unity agreement) with the Norwegians, and became the sole owners of the island. In 1953, Greenland was officially given the status of "Part of the territory of the Kingdom of Denmark", but the inhabitants of the "green country" themselves do not really agree with this.

The history of the colonization of the island by the Vikings is interesting and mysterious. From 983 until the middle of the 12th century they were very active, organizing many of their settlements. But then suddenly something happened, soon the settlements fell into disrepair, and the Vikings moved away from these shores. What happened?

Until recently, a lot of hypotheses were put forward, up to the most absurd ones. But a few years ago, climatologists managed to lift the veil of secrecy. As mentioned earlier, from the 10th to the 11th century AD, the climate on the island was much milder, the warm period lasted longer, and in some places along the coasts, according to ancient manuscripts, even wheat ripened. Then there was a sharp cold snap, because of which the Vikings preferred to leave here.

The political administration of this unrecognized country is carried out by the parliament and the prime minister. In addition, the people of Greenland have the right to choose two representatives who voice the interests of the islanders in the Danish parliament.

Official acquisition of independence

A referendum held on November 25, 2008 secured independence for this territory. The fact is that the population of the island spoke in favor of numerous and significant changes in legislation. In particular, it was then that Greenlandic became the only language, and the judicial and executive authorities acquired complete independence. Today we can rightfully assume that the flag of Greenland is flying over independent country. However, independence also brought negative consequences - Denmark stopped subsidizing more than 600 million dollars annually to the island's economy.

Officially, all the provisions of the referendum came into force in mid-2009, and since then the entire area of Greenland has been in fact a full-fledged and relatively autonomous state. It is noteworthy that with the European Union local residents relationships don't work out.

Formally, the island still continues to be part of Denmark, but it is not part of the EU. Since its inception, the islanders have sharply opposed the prospect of joining a united Europe. This is explained simply: most likely, Greenland in this way defends the independence of its own fish resources, which, otherwise, both Norway and Denmark could immediately claim. The political situation in these parts is quite complicated, and in some aspects even tense.

Economy and tourism

The economy of today's Greenland is based on fishing. Of course, there is hope for mining, as there are deposits on the island. Only tourism, which some supporters of the complete independence of this territory rely on, is poorly developed. The main reason is the harsh climate, and the cost of the tour does not cause much enthusiasm among tourists. So Greenland is a young country, but hardened by difficulties.

Air communication and other transport

In a place with complicated name Kangerlussuaq is the largest airport in the area, based in the area of the US Air Force base during the Cold War. Despite the seeming modesty, the size of the airport is quite enough to accept even international flights.

In addition, you can get to the island using the services of ferries from Hurtigruten. Cities in Greenland itself are also interconnected by an extensive ferry network. If you need speed, you should use the services of a small air carrier Air Greenland, which owns several aircraft and a couple of dozen transport helicopters.

Roads for cars on a huge island - just nothing, about 150 kilometers (and even those in cities). In general, Greenland is not a car country. In total, about three thousand cars are registered here, mainly SUVs and off-road vehicles.

Big cities

Nuuk (in the distant past the city was called Gotthob) is the capital of Greenland, founded in 1728 by Danish missionaries. This is the most Big City an island where the local government is seated. The inhabitants of this amazing place they joke that it is here and summer residence Santa Claus. Given the location of Greenland on the map, there is a grain of truth in this statement.

Ilulissat (former name - Jakobshavn) is located on the shores of the bay with the "incendiary" name Disco. But this place is harsh, because clean water rarely seen due to the abundance of icebergs. By the way, at least 1/10 of all icebergs that can be seen in the coastal waters of Greenland are born in these parts. Perhaps this city is perhaps the only one that can boast of a regular influx of tourists.

This is due to the unreal beauty of the local icy mountains, which attract viewers from all over the world. Many tourists only because of this and found out where Greenland is on the map.

Kangerlussuaq was founded near the glacier of the same name. This is where the most major airport in Greenland. Literally in the city limits, you can constantly observe whole herds of deer. Also, foxes are often seen on the streets. If you drive only 25 kilometers to the side, you can see the beautiful Russell Glacier.

Qaqortoq (the old name of the city sounds like Julianekhlob) was founded in 1775. More recently, not far from the city limits, archaeologists stumbled upon the remains of a Viking settlement with a church that dates back to the early tenth century. In the town of Unartok you can swim in hot thermal springs, as well as admire the exhibition of sculptures made from local stone.

Umanak is one of the most unique settlements in the snow-covered lands. It lies far beyond the Arctic Circle, but at the same time there is the maximum number of bright days. From May to August, the sun does not set at all in these places, and therefore tourists have a lot of free time that can be spent on a thorough inspection of the surroundings. The small town has a wonderful museum, which contains many artifacts that tell about life in Greenland.

Attractions

It is easy to guess that almost all local attractions are of natural origin. For example, only here you can appreciate the size and grandeur of icebergs, one of which caused the death of the legendary Titanic. In general, Greenland is covered with ice by about 80%, and its thickness reaches three kilometers. Given that the area of Greenland in sq. km is 2,166,086, it is not difficult to understand what a cyclopean amount of frozen snow is here!

Scientists have calculated that if only local ice(not to mention Antarctica), then the level of the World Ocean will rise by at least seven meters. And it seems that everything is going to this. But due to warming, scientists regularly manage to make unexpected discoveries: in 2005, researchers were able to find a new piece of land, which was called the “Hot Island”. It is located a couple of hundred kilometers from the coast of Greenland. Scientists suggest that over the past 20-30 years, the ice bridge that connected it to the island has simply melted.

Mount Gunnbjorn is located in the easternmost part of Greenland. Its peak towers over the island for more than 3.5 kilometers. And this is only the part that goes beyond the centuries-old thickness of ice! Nearby is the world's longest fjord, the Scoresby Sound. This strait bites into the thickness of the land at once for 350 kilometers!

Sermeq Kujaleq glacier. Perhaps, only for the sake of it you can visit the "green country". In 2004, UNESCO officially included this "ice" in the list But why such an honor? Given that the area of Greenland in sq. km is quite large, and 80% of this is ice, isn't there a lot of attention to one glacier? It turned out that no, because it is really unique.

Its area is more than three thousand square kilometers, and annually more than 40 thousand cubic meters of ice breaks off from it into the waters of Disko Bay. The glacier itself looks like a grandiose river from pure ice, which crawls on the surface of Greenland at a speed of about 40 centimeters per day. When the tip of the ice formation reaches Disko, the Greenland ice breaks off.

Climate in Greenland

The climate here is severe - arctic and maritime subarctic. In the center of the island, it is replaced by arctic continental. Complexities are added by cyclones, due to which the weather can change almost instantly. Here the temperature constantly “jumps”, and the winds change direction several times an hour. Since the ice in these parts covers an area larger than the whole of Great Britain, its exorbitant severity causes subsidence of the crust, so that the central parts of the island are 360 meters below (!) The sea surface. Therefore, Greenland, whose climate is harsh and unstable, prefers strong-willed and hardy people.

weather characteristics

Winter is characterized by constant cyclones and heavy rainfall. However, the temperature is quite acceptable: in December it rarely drops to -8 °C. In January, on the coast - from -7 ° C. The situation is different at the southern tip, where temperatures of -36 °C are constantly recorded in winter. In February, the weather does not indulge at all, reaching -47 ° C (the absolute minimum is -70 ° C). Simply put, some regions of Mars are significantly warmer!

The best time to visit these parts is from May to June. If you really want winter, but temperatures below -50 degrees do not appeal, you can plan a trip for mid-April. In the spring it is simply wonderful here: there are no frosts as such, and the northern tan is guaranteed. The air temperature rarely drops below -10 °C. What will delight tourists the most big Island- Greenland - in the summer?

Also snow, which is not rare here in June either. In summer, the weather here becomes completely unpredictable. Winds are frequent, reaching speeds of 60-70 m/s. Best time to visit the island - from mid-July to early September. The days are getting longer and the tundra is turning into an incredible a nice place: millions of flowers bloom here, delicious berries appear.

Still, for what period to plan the "discovery" of Greenland? The answer is obvious: it all depends on the weather preferences of tourists.

Climate in Greenland

The climate prevails here...

Greenland: the land of eternal ice.

Greenland is a land of contrasts. In the summer, the sun shines here 24 hours a day, and in the winter, in an unexpected way, the entire horizon flares up. northern lights. So when is it worth visiting the country eternal ice?

Climate in Greenland

The climate here is dominated by subarctic maritime and arctic. And the area of the ice sheet is characterized by continental arctic. Quite often, the island is crossed by cyclones, which change the climate in Greenland very dramatically. So there are constant changes in temperature, strong winds blow and precipitation falls. The ice here covers a colossal area exceeding the size of Great Britain by more than 10 times. The weight of these ices causes the earth's crust to sag, forming a concave-shaped basin that reaches a depth of 360 m below sea level. Icebergs constantly float near the coast, which are constantly on the move.

Weather in Greenland in winter

Greenland is considered the Kingdom of seals, walruses, whales. Tourists are attracted here by the Greenlandic settlements and villages, the unique Inuit culture, their history and way of life. The weather in Greenland in winter is more famous for its arctic climate. The island is surrounded for the most part by cold ocean currents, due to the proximity of the Atlantic and North arctic oceans. The island is often crossed by cyclones, which are accompanied by strong winds, precipitation and sudden changes in weather. Yes, in December average temperature air temperature is -8° C. The average January temperature on the coast is from -7° C in the south to -36° C. The average February temperature is -47° C (absolute minimum -70° C).

Weather in Greenland in spring

Many tourists believe that the most appropriate time to visit the country is the period of "white nights", which lasts from May to June. If you are a fan of winter fun, but at the same time wary of severe frosts, go to Greenland in April. Despite the fact that the country is associated with the polar night and piercing cold, nevertheless, the spring weather in Greenland in the spring will not only warm, but also give a pleasant northern tan. The average air temperature is -10°C.

Weather in Greenland in summer

The maximum amount of precipitation occurs in the autumn-winter period. However, it can snow even in summer. The weather in Greenland in the summer is unpredictable, summer fogs on the coast of the country are quite common. And even the wind, the speed of which reaches 60-70 m/s, is quite a frequent occurrence in summer. If you think that cold weather and polar nights with a complete lack of sun are not for you, then go to Greenland in mid-July until early September. During these months, the golden time begins: the days become long, flowers and berries appear in the tundra.

Weather in Greenland in autumn.

The climate in Greenland is quite dry, and therefore the weather in Greenland in autumn is perceived completely differently than in our country. For example, if at -10°C you feel a slight coolness, then +10-15°C is comparable to +20-25°C in Russia. July - from +10°C in the south to +3°C in the northwest. By the way, in autumn it is quite interesting here. If you want to stay in Greenland until October, you can see the Northern Lights.

Covered by an ice sheet, continental is formed. The climate of Greenland is harsh. Here, throughout the year, negative temperatures: in summer - from -10 to -15 ° С; in winter - from -45 to -50 ° С. Temperature drops reached -65°C. In Greenland, the lowest average annual average for the Northern Hemisphere is -32.2 ° С. On the southern and eastern coasts of the island, where they pass more often, the annual is 800 - 1000 mm, but in the north it decreases to 100 mm. On the entire coastal strip of the island, they often blow. Frequent, especially in winter.

It snows quite often in the eastern regions (up to 103 days a year in the Angmagssalik region); in the west - almost half as often (55 days at Sisimiut). The farther north, the more characteristic are infrequent, light snowfalls. The western coastal areas have frequent days in summer (113–128 per year in Qeqertarssuaq and Ilulissat).

Washed by the warm West Greenland current, southwestern Greenland has the warmest and mildest climate. The average temperature in January is from minus 1 to minus 4°, the average temperature in July in Ivigtut is about 11°. But in general, summers here are cold, damp, and winters are windy and snowy. Only on far south in the summer months, in places sheltered from the wind or on the southern slopes, the temperature can rise to +20°. The climate of the eastern coast is more severe, near which ice moves all year round, brought from the Central Arctic by the cold East Greenland Current. The most inhospitable and bleak nature of the northern coast is constantly blocked by ice. During the long polar night, temperatures drop to -52° here. Only 2–3 months a year, due to continuous sunshine, low positive temperatures are maintained.

Precipitation is low (less than 200 mm), so the ice sheet in the north recedes far from the coast

Respectively climatic differences in different parts of the island and the vegetation cover of Greenland is not the same. In general, it is believed that it is relatively scarce, but more than 1000 plant species have been found, including about 450 higher ones. The flora of Greenland is richer than any other region of the Arctic. Vegetation is concentrated only in the zone free from eternal ice - in the fjords, on the sea coast and on the hills. The most varied vegetable world southern and southwestern Greenland, characterized by a milder, subarctic climate (average temperature in July +10 °).

There, in the sunniest and most wind-protected valleys, several birch copses have been preserved. Tree trunks reach a height of 4–7 m; often they are curved, and sometimes stretch parallel to the ground. American mountain ash, willow, juniper are also found here - they all look more like shrubs than trees. The valley with the best birch "forest" (Kingva, near Tassermiut) has been declared a nature reserve.

In the usual view, Greenland is a country of polar cold, where ice and snow lie all year round. This does indeed correspond to the climate of the interior of Greenland, but due to the great stretch from south to north - the country stretches over 20 degrees of latitude (over 2,000 km) - its coastline is characterized by a wide variety of climates. In the southern part of the island in many places in July and August there is no frost at all and the temperature sometimes rises above 20 °, while in the northern part frosts usually prevail throughout the year and the summer temperature is so low that in Denmark one would hardly call it "in summer". However, in addition to these basic conditions, the climate is also influenced by numerous fjords, in some places very deeply cutting into the land and in some places bordered by quite high mountains. They often create specific, purely local climatic conditions, so that different localities, very close to each other, can vary greatly in such climatic elements as wind, temperature, fog, etc.

The position of Greenland on the globe as an isolated land, the northernmost part of which is entirely included in the Arctic region, while the southern tip reaches 60 ° N. sh., the fact that most of its surface lies at a considerable height (1500 - 3000 m), give it some peculiar climatic features. Recall that everywhere on the globe, between the equator and the poles, there is an exchange of cold air masses coming from the poles and warm air masses coming from the equator. The mixing of these very different air masses is the cause of the instability of the weather in our latitudes, associated with areas of low pressure, or "cyclones". Geographical position Greenland and a significant altitude are the reason that the exchange of various air masses cannot occur over Greenland without hindrance, as happens, for example, in Denmark. Greenland is presented as a massif 2-3 km high, which "retracts" cold air masses to the south along its eastern side. When cold air masses from the north go far enough to the south, they meet there with warmer air masses coming from the south. It is for this reason that in the areas adjacent to Greenland, as well as on the coast of the southern part of the country, the weather is unstable. A well-known phenomenon noted on the weather maps of the northern part Atlantic Ocean, is that at the southern tip of Greenland, the cyclones seem to diverge; some are heading west of Greenland, while others are heading east. Only a small number of long-term observations have been made in the interior of the country, but the observations that we have show with complete certainty that cyclonic activity can also occur over the interior of the country, although not with such intensity as along the coasts. In cases where cyclones are of sufficient height, their upper layers can pass over a continental ice sheet, while Bottom part cyclones up to 3 km in height are delayed at its limits.

The southern tip of Greenland is at the same latitude as Oslo, and one might therefore assume that the climate in Southern Greenland and southern Norway is basically the same. This, however, is not true, because Greenland, especially its eastern coast, is strongly influenced by arctic air masses, while Norway, along its entire length, is mainly under the influence of mild southwesterly winds, which makes the temperature there 6- 8° higher than even those parts of Greenland where the climate is mildest.

The difference in climatic conditions in different regions

We have said that the indentation of the coast of Greenland, with its many deep fjords, partly bordered by high mountains, causes a great difference climatic conditions from place to place. This can be found from numerous descriptions of travelers, reports of expeditions, etc. The following can be said about the main features of these differences.

The fjords, deeply cut into the land, naturally provide effective protection from the winds that dominate open sea or over the mountains; inside the fjords there is often no wind at all or only a slight wind, while in the open sea it reaches considerable strength or even a storm rages. The exception, of course, is when the wind is directed directly into or out of the fjord. However, the opposite picture can also be observed, when towards the outer part of the fjord or from the fjord it blows strong wind, while at sea the wind is relatively weak; such winds can be caused by various reasons; it happens that a relatively weak stream of air will be compressed at a great distance in a narrow fjord and, as a result, will acquire considerable force. Wind can also arise due to the large difference in temperatures outside the fjord and in the inner part of the fjord (during the day or summer, the outer part of the fjord can have cold air, and inside the fjord it can be warm, at night and winter - vice versa). In this case, the change of winds can be quite regular; it may also be related to other factors, such as the occurrence of fogs. These winds are at times so strong that they can make sailing difficult.

In summer, the temperature over the open sea differs very little from the temperature of the water. However, in clear weather, when the snow has already melted inside the fjord, protected from the winds, the sun warms the slopes of the fjords, which, in turn, warm the air, so that one can observe how, as you move into the interior of the fjord, that is, as you approach the mainland glacier, it is getting warmer. However, in winter, the opposite occurs: open coast, as long as the sea is free of ice, the temperature is relatively high, while the still air in the depths of the fjord is greatly cooled.

Foehn wind and its impact on climate

The foehn wind is very characteristic of Greenland. If a stream of air overcomes such a huge obstacle as Greenland, then this stream can either follow the contours of this obstacle, go up the slope on one side and go down the slope on the other side, or it can pass over the top of the plateau, forming at this is the so-called "dead corners" above the very surface of the slopes, where the air masses are motionless, and then it is relatively calm below the coast. In the first case, the air therefore rises and then sinks over both coasts, and this causes respectively a cooling or heating of 10° for every kilometer of ascent or descent. Cooling, however, is not so significant, because it causes the formation of precipitation, which reduces it to 5 ° per 1 km of altitude; the heating, on the other hand, when the air stream descends, is not restrained by anything, and if the same mass first rises with the formation of precipitation and then descends, then it eventually heats up by 5 ° for each kilometer of rise. The flow of air heated due to precipitation during ascent and subsequent lowering is called a hair dryer. It is clear that the shape of the surface of Greenland creates favorable conditions for its occurrence. It can occur when the wind either passes over a continental glacier or rises up the slopes of coastal mountains in one place, in order to then descend in another place.

Characteristic of the hair dryer is that it usually blows intermittently. Special meteorological conditions are needed to make the air flow rise over the surface of the land and descend, instead of passing at a considerable height. Foehns do not occur when air flows at a considerable height, they start when the air descends and passes over the surface.

The foehn wind is always very dry, and if the place where the foehn blows is cold, it often causes a strong and sudden rise in temperature, which can reach 20 ° in a day. The maximum temperature is often noted for a very short time and easily escapes direct measurement in the absence of recording instruments, in particular, a maximum thermometer. This circumstance is connected with the discontinuous nature of the foehn mentioned above.

However, in winter, a very noticeable increase in temperature can be caused not by the foehn wind, but by the intrusion of warm air from more southern latitudes. Although at the same time a transition from frost to thaw can also take place, not only in the south, but even in more northern parts countries, yet such cases differ from foehn in that they are not accompanied by sudden short-term rises in temperature. In addition, such warm air intrusions are usually accompanied by precipitation or at least wet weather as opposed to dry weather caused by a foehn.

Since the warm air invading a country must naturally escape it, passing either over the whole island or along the coast, it may appear as a foehn at the place where it leaves the coast. In such cases, in winter there is a rise in temperature and rain falls where the wind blows towards the land, and a still more noticeable increase in temperature in dry weather and foehn where the same air current, having passed over the glacier, again leaves the country. Both of these phenomena are noted on weather maps, and in cases where observations were simultaneously made in the interior of Greenland by expeditions located there, it was possible to directly "identify" the warm air current washing the country on its way over the continental ice.

Two opposing climatic factors have been mentioned several times above: cold Arctic air, which moves south along the coast from the Arctic proper, and soft oceanic air, which flows from the south to the southern tip of Greenland and can at times travel quite far to the north. There is, however, a third climatic factor of equal importance, namely radiation. This primarily means, of course, solar radiation, which at first glance, due to the small height of the sun above the horizon, may seem insignificant. Of great importance for the climate of Greenland is the radiation of heat from the earth into the world space.

In the northernmost parts of the island, especially in winter, when the sun does not appear above the horizon at all for a more or less long time, the radiation of the heat of the earth predominates, acting as a cooling agent. Therefore, the lowest temperatures are observed when there is no wind or with a light wind; an increase in wind causes an increase in temperature even in cases where there is no direct influx of warmer air from the south. Since the winds usually weaken as one moves north, the cooling due to radiation is more pronounced in the north, which, along with the long polar night, undoubtedly contributes to a strong decrease in temperature, starting from Upernavik and further north.

In the southern part of the country, the warming effect of solar radiation is intensifying, which manifests itself here mainly in an increase in summer temperature, especially in the inner parts of the fjords, in places protected from the wind; in summer, temperatures are sometimes observed here almost the same as in Denmark (20 ° or slightly higher). In this regard, of course, the fact that on many slopes on days with a low height of the sun above the horizon its rays fall more vertically than on a horizontal surface can acquire great importance. This is due to the relatively strong heating of individual places.