the coast, long stretches of out-pouring inland ice alternate with 

 broad, ice-free areas and large nunataks in the background. 



Steep walled valleys and fiords penetrate inland. The ice cap 

 here approaches the coast more closely than in north Greenland. 

 At latitude 81°30' N. the snow line or lowest limit of perpetual 

 snow lies at sea level. Winter weather prevails the year around. 

 This is the most forbidding area of the northern hemisphere. 



Central East Greenland extends from 74° N. to 68° N. The 

 middle section is characterized by gigantic fiords, reputedly the 

 most beautiful in the world. The Scoresby Sound fiords system 

 penetrates more deeply than any of the others in the whole of 

 Greenland. It is comparable to a massive river delta. 



GLACIAL MOVEMENTS 



Several of the immense Greenland glaciers on the West Coast 

 (notably Jacobshavn, Tarssuktok, and the great Karajak) pro- 

 duce over half of the bergs that float into the North Atlantic ship- 

 ping lanes. When the glaciers flowing out from the ice cap reach 

 the sea, large pieces of the ice calve and float away. In northern 

 Greenland where the fiords and adjacent sea are frozen over during 

 the winter, the icebergs can float away only during the short season 

 when the sea-ice has melted. Off Peary Land and northwest 

 Greenland the conglomerated polar pack ice persists throughout 

 the summer. Consequently the icebergs are forced together 

 against the end of the glacier and produce large masses of floating 

 land-ice. This is similar to the shelf-ice of Antarctica, yet not 

 quite so symmetrical in shape. 



As stated above, the terrain of the coastal area varies from the 

 hummocky topography which is most extensive to the towering, 

 serrated mountains. The entire area is underlain by permafrost. 

 Wherever soil exists, solifluction is common. The rock areas are 

 undergoing rapid mechanical weathering due to the freezing and 

 thawing of seepage water. There are no important rivers, and 

 the short streams that do exist have steep, rocky courses. 



The position of Greenland brings it under the influence of cy- 

 clones and fronts, particularly in its southwestern section. The 

 island acts as a barrier because of its height. Only very deep dis- 

 turbances cross it. However, these highs and lows determine the 

 winds on the coasts. Usually there is a down slope sliding of the 

 air at the surface. Cold air pours off the ice plateau and funnels 

 through the fiords. These winds may occur in the nature of vio- 

 lent squalls, particularly in winter. The winds are most intense 



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