How does the East Greenland Current carry water and ice out of the Arctic Ocean?

The East Greenland Current acts as a primary conduit for transporting water and ice out of the Arctic Ocean. It originates from the northern extremity of the large clockwise gyre that dominates the Amerasia Basin, which then bifurcates and jets out through the passage between Spitsbergen and Greenland.1

As this cold current flows southward and southwestward along the east coast of Greenland, it carries large fields of ice—including Arctic pack ice, sea ice, and freshwater icebergs—out of the Arctic Basin. The current reaches speeds of approximately 6 to 16 inches per second. Upon reaching the southern tip of Greenland, a branch of the flow turns to form the West Greenland Current, while the main flow continues toward the Labrador Sea. This export of ice and fresh water is a significant factor in global thermohaline circulation, as it influences the formation of North Atlantic Deep Water.2341