Greenland Sea: Its Size, Climate, Biodiversity, Tourism, And More

Greenland is situated between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

Greenland is an autonomous territory. It is the world's largest island.

Geographically, it looks like Greenland is a part of the North American continent, but since ancient times, it has been associated with Europe. A freshwater ocean surrounds Greenland, and it has the largest ice formation in the world. The natives are known as Inuit people. Inuit people are from Alaska, which is situated in the North of Canada.

If you like this article, be sure to check out our other facts articles about the Andaman Sea and the Archipelago Sea.

Things To See And Do Near Greenland Sea

The Greenland Sea is very popular with tourists, and there are many things to do there.

The Illulisat ice Fjord has been a UNESCO world heritage site since 2004. No trip to Greenland is complete without it.

The Emanuel A Peterson Art Museum is also found in Illulisat, which has a collection of landscapes based on Greenland. Whale watching is one of the most popular things to do in Greenland. You can encounter many types of whales, such as fin whales, beluga whales, and killer whales, in the Greenland sea.

Greenland's national museum has 500-year-old mummies, carvings, biking funds, and kayaks. The Aurora Borealis is perhaps what Greenland is mostly associated with in the world.

They are also called the Northern Lights. They are known as the biggest light show on the Earth. The best months to see them are from December to February.

Hot springs are also found in Greenland, but the island of Unnartouq is the most famous one, as it is inhabited. The Barents Sea is also in the Arctic ocean.

Weather In The Greenland Sea

Greenland is one of the coldest countries in the world, and so is the sea surrounding it.

There are very frequent fogs in the area. The surface water temperatures in February are 30 F (-1 C) in the north and 43 F (6 C) in August in the south.

February is the coldest month, and August is the warmest month. In winter, the temperature goes down to -15 F (-26 C) in the north and 14 F (-10 C) in the south.

In the summers, the temperature reaches 32 F (0 C) in the north and 41 F (5 C) in the south. Once there is winter, the sun does not come up for months in Greenland, and it becomes extremely cold.

In the northwestern part, there is Cape Nansen, which is a peninsula. Many scientific expeditions have been carried out in the Greenland Sea.

The marine life is untouched in the Atlantic ocean, and the arctic climate ensures there are no trespassers there. The average depth of the Greenland Sea is 4750 ft (1,450 m).

The Greenland Sea has floating ice from across the Atlantic Ocean. There are freshwater lakes in the east of the Greenland Sea and ice formations in the west.

Greenland Sea Ecosystem

Greenland has a small population, so the ecosystem is well preserved. The sea is the deepest azure color, and colossal white and blue icebergs float across it.

The ice, which appears to be nonmoving and fixed, actually cracks when it shifts from ice to water in the summer. The kingdom of Denmark rules over Greenland. It is the largest non-continental island in the world.

The inland ice in Greenland is very thick. Hot springs, green mountains, wonderful fjords, crystal clear skies, clean air, and beautiful wildflowers are tourist attractions.

Wildlife, such as reindeers, polar bears, whales, and seals, are unique to this icy wonderland. There are no roads in Greenland. If you need to travel, you would have to take snowmobiles, boats, planes, or sleds.

Six species of seals can also be found in Greenland; the harp seal is the most famous one. Greenland's major export is denatured salt and table salt.

Hydrology, Climate, And Ice

The climate in the Greenland Sea varies across its surface area.

In Spitsbergen, in winter, the air temperatures vary from -56 F (-49 C) in winters to 77 F (25 C) in summer. The East Greenland Current is formed from The North Atlantic Current in the Arctic Ocean.

The Spitsbergen Current, which is a part of the Gulf Stream, flows along the eastern part. In the central part of the sea, there is a counter-clockwise flow because of the combination of currents.

There is very little sea navigation possible in the Greenland Sea because of the currents, fogs, and winds, which occur at a frequent rate in this area. Arctic pack ice, freshwater icebergs, and sea ice are the three types of icebergs present there.

Because of global warming, there is climate change occurring in Greenland in the form of rainfall. Since 1982, the ice sheets of Greenland have gotten warmer by 4.8 F (2.7 C) every year.

Geography And Geology

To the south of the Greenland Sea, there is Iceland and the Denmark Strait, and to the north is the island of Greenland.

Greenland is separated by Iceland through the Denmark Strait. Svalbard Archipelago is on the northeast, and the Norwegian Sea is on the southeast. The Iceland Sea is the name given to the southern part of the Greenland Sea.

The Svalbard Archipelago has many islands that are included in the Greenland Sea. On these islands, meteorological operations are conducted. The Greenland Sea is a part of the Nordic Seas.

There are three Nordic Seas: The Norwegian Sea, The Greenland Sea, and the Iceland Sea. Only 0.755% of the world's seas are made of Nordic Seas. The Norwegian Sea is also bordered by Greenland in the northwest.

Here at Kidadl, we have carefully created lots of interesting family-friendly facts for everyone to enjoy! If you liked our suggestions article about the Greenland Sea, then why not take a look at our articles on Arabian Sea facts or the Alboran Sea?