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Why the Iceland Basin and the Rockall Trough?
From an oceanographic perspective, the Rockall Trough and the Iceland Basin provide the main pathways by which warm North Atlantic surface water reaches the Norwegian Sea, where it is converted into cold dense water as part of the thermohaline overturning. The shallow water of the Rockall Trough is northward flowing Eastern North Atlantic Water which is warmer and saltier than waters of the Iceland Basin (Western North Atlantic Water). Below 1200m, Labrador Sea Water is trapped by the shallowing topography to the north which prevents through flow but allows recirculation within the basins. Deep in the Iceland Basin, return flow of the thermohaline circulation takes the form of the cold dense overflow.
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Strategically, the seas to the west of Britain are important in terms of modifying our weather and climate, and in the resources they provide, notably fisheries and oil reserves. From a logistical perspective the Ellett line was selected because it could be quickly reached from the oceanographic laboratory in Oban and was originally crossed by ships going to and from an Ocean Weather Ship stationed west of Hatton Bank.
