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APPENDIX A
TOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE
Iceland lies in the North Atlantic approximately 200 miles southeast of Green-
land and 600 miles west of Norway, with its northernmost point at the Arctic Circle.
It has an area of 40,437 square miles; the greatest length of the island is about 300
miles east and west and the greatest width is about 200 miles from north to south.
Geologically, Iceland is an unfinished country because it is frequently being added
to by outpourings of lava and volcanic ashes.
The name Iceland is a misnomer because only about one-eighth of the surface
is covered by ice. The surface is largely a bleak, rugged upland averaging 2,000 to
3,000 feet above sea level with numerous peaks and volcanoes rising to 4-5,500 feet.
Around this upland are narrow borders of rugged coastal land, valleys leading into
the interior and a few small low areas in the south and west. The coast varies from
the deeply indented fjord coast of the east, north and west to the low, sandy, surf-
beaten south shore.
Iceland's glaciers, melting snow, and high rainfall produce extensive runoff, and
the rivers are consequently numerous. The rivers are for the most part unnavigable
because of their steep fall, but they are potentially useful for waterpower development.
Hot springs and geysers are spread over a larger area, and their activity is more
intense in Iceland than anywhere else in the world. The waters vary in temperature
up to two or three degrees above boiling point and constitute a virtually inexhaustible
store of energy.
Only a small part of Iceland is covered with a continuous carpet of vegetation.
Forests, which existed in Iceland at the time of the first settlements, were thought-
lessly used up and the consequent denuding exposed the loose soil to the wind, leav-
ing only gravel and lava on which no new vegetation could grow. Scrub growths
of birch, dwarf willows, and mountain ash now exist only in the more favorable areas.
The government is sponsoring a reforestation program but progress is difficult because
of the extremely unfavorable soil conditions.
The climate is tempered by the North Atlantic drift and affected by the arrival
or nonarrival of drift ice along the north and east coasts. The climate is prevail-
ingly very damp, relative humidity averaging about 80% throughout the year. Air tem-
peratures can be characterized as mild in winter and cool in summer. The mean
annual range of temperatures for seven stations recorded over a forty-seven-year
period is 53° F, the mean annual extremes for the coastal stations included above being
70° and 3° F. The climate of the interior is more extreme.
Iceland does not experience the long Arctic nights, the shortest winter day hav-
ing more than 2 1/2 hours of daylight.
A-1
SECRET
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"ocrText": "APPENDIX A\nTOPOGRAPHY AND CLIMATE\nIceland lies in the North Atlantic approximately 200 miles southeast of Green-\nland and 600 miles west of Norway, with its northernmost point at the Arctic Circle.\nIt has an area of 40,437 square miles; the greatest length of the island is about 300\nmiles east and west and the greatest width is about 200 miles from north to south.\nGeologically, Iceland is an unfinished country because it is frequently being added\nto by outpourings of lava and volcanic ashes.\nThe name Iceland is a misnomer because only about one-eighth of the surface\nis covered by ice. The surface is largely a bleak, rugged upland averaging 2,000 to\n3,000 feet above sea level with numerous peaks and volcanoes rising to 4-5,500 feet.\nAround this upland are narrow borders of rugged coastal land, valleys leading into\nthe interior and a few small low areas in the south and west. The coast varies from\nthe deeply indented fjord coast of the east, north and west to the low, sandy, surf-\nbeaten south shore.\nIceland's glaciers, melting snow, and high rainfall produce extensive runoff, and\nthe rivers are consequently numerous. The rivers are for the most part unnavigable\nbecause of their steep fall, but they are potentially useful for waterpower development.\nHot springs and geysers are spread over a larger area, and their activity is more\nintense in Iceland than anywhere else in the world. The waters vary in temperature\nup to two or three degrees above boiling point and constitute a virtually inexhaustible\nstore of energy.\nOnly a small part of Iceland is covered with a continuous carpet of vegetation.\nForests, which existed in Iceland at the time of the first settlements, were thought-\nlessly used up and the consequent denuding exposed the loose soil to the wind, leav-\ning only gravel and lava on which no new vegetation could grow. Scrub growths\nof birch, dwarf willows, and mountain ash now exist only in the more favorable areas.\nThe government is sponsoring a reforestation program but progress is difficult because\nof the extremely unfavorable soil conditions.\nThe climate is tempered by the North Atlantic drift and affected by the arrival\nor nonarrival of drift ice along the north and east coasts. The climate is prevail-\ningly very damp, relative humidity averaging about 80% throughout the year. Air tem-\nperatures can be characterized as mild in winter and cool in summer. The mean\nannual range of temperatures for seven stations recorded over a forty-seven-year\nperiod is 53° F, the mean annual extremes for the coastal stations included above being\n70° and 3° F. The climate of the interior is more extreme.\nIceland does not experience the long Arctic nights, the shortest winter day hav-\ning more than 2 1/2 hours of daylight.\nA-1\nSECRET"
}