Jan Mayen is a volcanic island surrounded by the deep Greenland, Iceland
and Norwegian Seas. There, atmospheric and oceanic processes unleash
potential energy that forces very dynamic interactions between sea and
air. This unique geophysical focal point generates climatic variability
in northern Europe, and supports marine biological production that
sustains the yield of large living resources. The marine populations are
clearly fluctuating with variations in climate, and raises questions
about effects of man-made climate change. Since the last Ice Age the
sinking of Greenland Sea Deep-Water has been a substantial driving force
for the Global Thermo-Haline Circulation which feeds warm Atlantic water
into the Nordic Seas. Global warming may interact with the deep-water
formation and force feedback mechanisms that express themselves beyond
imagination. The book addresses such problems to raise an interest for
doing research on the island and in its waters. The potentials for doing
that increases when the island's Loran-C station closes down in 2005.
The book recommends how the international scientific community may gain
access to this really challenging arena for local, regional and Global
research. It is a blueprint for the logistics required for science to
succeed in a very remote and physically demanding place on Earth.