Jökull - 01.12.2007, Page 4

Símonarson and Leifsdóttir
Figure 1. Map of the North Atlantic showing the main oceanic circulation features around Iceland (modified
after Eiríksson et al., 1993). PF: Location of the Polar Front. – Kort sem sýnir yfirborðsstrauma við Ísland. PF:
Skilin milli hlý- og kaldsjávar norðan við Ísland.
transport activity of the Gulf Stream and the North At-
lantic Drift (Brunner, 1978). The initiation of the flow
might also have triggered the onset of the Labrador
Current and very strongly affected the ocean current
patterns both to the west and east of Greenland (Back-
man, 1979). During the Neogene the circulation pat-
tern around Iceland repeatedly changed as indicated
by the changing distribution patterns and migration
of molluscs, which have proved to be an important
tool for identifying these developments (Durham and
MacNeil, 1967; Símonarson, 1981; Reid, 1996; Mar-
incovich, 2000). The geographical location of Iceland
makes it particularly sensitive to shifts of the Polar
Front between the North Atlantic Drift and the East
Greenland Current.
The oceanic circulation pattern is one of the most
important climatic factors in the North Atlantic and
adjacent lands. A clear relationship has been demon-
2 JÖKULL No. 57