A southward flowing current along Greenland's east coast that forms part of the North Atlantic subpolar gyre and at the same time constitutes the major outflow route of Arctic water into the Atlantic.
This water has a salinity of 30-33 psu and a temperature below -1C. Some of it is diverted just north of Denmark Strait and northeast of Iceland into the East Iceland Current, which carries it toward the Norwegian Sea as part of the formation process of Arctic Bottom Water. The remainder is joined south of Denmark Strait and southwest of Iceland by the northwestward flowing Irminger Current, which brings the water of the subpolar gyre. Transport estimates are 5 Sv (5 x 10^6 m^3/s) for the East Greenland Current and 8-11 Sv (8-11 x 10^6 m^3/s) for the Irminger Current. The combined flow continues around the southern tip of Greenland into the West Greenland Current.
Sea ice terminology, meaning a general qualitative expression that indicates that prevailing ice conditions in an area are such that navigation is not difficult.