Light freshwater sticks to Greenland's east coast, finds researcher

Meltwater that runs along the east coast of Greenland, hardly enters the open ocean before reaching the western side of the island. That is one of the conclusions NIOZ Ph.D.-candidate Elodie Duyck draws in the thesis that she defended on Oct. 23 at Utrecht University. In the changing climate, fresh water from Greenland and the Arctic could disrupt the circulation in the Atlantic Ocean. "Understanding where, and how much, of that fresh and light water enters the Atlantic Ocean is critical to predict how the circulation may evolve under climate change," Duyck says.