Rit (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.07.1931, Blaðsíða 8

8
col. the heights of the respective tops, the fourth the shortest
distance of the firnlimit from the coast, and the fifth the
height of the firnlimit.
In the last column under »remarks« I have briefly referred
to the authorities I have based the assumed heights of the
firnlimit on.
Without entering into a detailed discussion of the subject I
only wish to draw attention to the fact that the firnlimit is
absolutely lowest near the wesfern coast of the Húnaflói,
where the summer temperature is low and humid NE-erly
winds are frequent. Near the southcoast the firnlimit is
fairly constant between 900 and 1000 m. a. s. and reaches
its greatest height on the highland to the north of the great
ice field Vatnajökull about 1600 m. a. s. In this region there
are some mountain-massives rising up to 1000 m. without
any glaciation and summits about 1600 m., which only carry
small traces of glaciation. Approaching the northeastern coast
we find again some glaciation or at least large perennial
firnfields between 800 and 1200 m.
Precipitation. Iceland is situated on the highroad of
weather disturbances, that originate in the »hatching place* of
cyclons in the Newfoundland region. The polarfront, or bound-
aries between fresh polar air and warm maritime air is generally
found over or in the neighbourhood of Iceland. Hence fhe
weather is very unsteady especially in winter, when the
difference in temperature between Iceland and the nearlying
eastcoast of Greenland frequently amounts to 20 —30 C.
In autumn and winter almost every new disturbance from
southwest produces strong SE-erly winds with much rain
or sleet in the southern half of the island, frequently followed
by outbreaks of polar air with heavy snowstorms on the
northcoast — and mostly cold, clear weather on the southcoast.
The central highland is to some extent sheltered from precipi-
tation by the high and steep mountainblocks near the coasts.
The map shows the normal annual precipitation in Iceland.1)
1) Veðráttan 1928. Published by the Meteorological Office of Iceland.