Figures 19-21 show the temperature and wind data observed at Jan Mayen during the period June to August. This period is included in the investigation since ice related to the 1996 winter Odden feature was believed to be present until some time in August when it finally disappeared, an extraordinary event. As will be shown later, the summer Odden feature might well be an advective one.
Figure 19. Air temperatures at Jan Mayen from June 1 to August 31, 1996.
Figure 20. Wind speed at Jan Mayen from June 1 to August 31, 1996.
Figure 21. Wind direction at Jan Mayen from June 1 to August 31, 1996.
Temperatures were between 0 and +5 degrees Celsius for most of the summer period, and winds were exceptionally calm for the entire period with long periods below 5 m/s. Local conditions were therefore not appropriate for ice growth, yet the Odden continued to exist. We must therefore look at an advection mechanism for the continued summer existence of Odden, implying that the ice composition has probably changed to rotten first- and multi-year Polar ice from the East Greenland Current rather than locally formed frazil and pancake.
Evidence of ice dynamics from SAR and AVHRR, and the ice types from SAR confirm this hyphothesis. This is considered in the following sections of the report.