By Kirye,
and P. Gosselin
Iceland is situated in the upper North Atlantic, which makes it a ideal for observing climate patterns and changes in that region.
Some people say that today’s climate is being driven almost entirely by man-made CO2, a trace gas in the atmosphere. Others, however, insist that the system is far more complex and involve a vast array of interdependent factors. One of the major factors is oceanic cycles.
What follows is a chart of April mean temperatures from 6 stations in Iceland, plotted using the data from the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA).
Data: JMA.
The results show there has been very little change since 1997. Interestingly, the powerful El Nino years of 1998 and 2016 show cold April mean temperatures in Iceland. This of course may be coincidental.
Annual mean temps falling since 2002
But the mean temperatures for one single month like April are not enough to tell us if there is an overall warming or cooling trend for Iceland. Looking at the annual mean temperature plot using JMA data for three stations, we find the following trends:
Iceland mean annual temperatures at three stations, since 2002. Data: JMA
The three stations plotted above show no warming at all, even though global temperatures are said to be warming due to CO2.
So why would Iceland be cooling? Obviously other natural factors are very much at work, like oceanic cycles. The story is similar at many locations worldwide. CO2 is not the main driver of the climate.
