Abstract :
Results of first steps towards a dynamically oriented climatology of winter time flow over and around Greenland are
presented. The synoptic situations in the Greenland area are classified with respect to Greenland’s axial mountain
torque. This torque is positive (negative) if the surface pressure at the eastern slope is higher (lower) than at the
windward side. Mean trajectories are calculated from correlations of observed flows with the torque. Three classes
of trajectories are formed: ‘blocked’, ‘over’ and ‘around’. It is found for low-level starting points west of Greenland,
that blocked trajectories are most common for positive torques while the bulk of the trajectories is deflected around
Greenland or crosses the massif for negative torques. These results are shown to be broadly consistent with the standard
non-dimensional height criterion. Flow splitting is common to the west of Greenland. Stagnation points are found west
of Greenland but also above the eastern slopes. Tip jets occur for negative torque events only
