Blue Blob

According to a recent study, blue blob may have helped temporarily stall the melting of Arctic sea ice.

• It is a cold patch located south of Iceland and Greenland.
• Blue blob was most prominent during the winter of 2014-2015 when the sea surface temperature was about 1.4 degrees Celsius colder than normal.
• Starting in 2011, according to the study, the speed of Iceland’s melting slowed, resulting in about half as much ice loss annually.
• Blue blob has been linked to cooler air temperatures over Iceland's glaciers and cooler waters.