While the cold weather this spring and heavy snows in the central highlands have frustrated many tourists they are good news to Icelandic glaciers who are projected to expand this year. According to meteorologists at the Icelandic Met Office this would be the first time all of Icelandic glaciers do not shrink year-on-year.
20-30% more snow means larger glaciers
According to Þorsteinn Þorstinsson, a glacierologist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office 2015 might be the first year since the mid-90s that all of the Icelandic glaciers do not shrink. In an interview with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV Þorsteinn points out that measurements carried out at Hofsjökull glacier, which is in the middle of the central highlands, indicate that the glacier added as much as eight meters of solid snowpack this winter.
Read more: See how ice cap Mýrdalsjökull glacier has changed 28-years
According to initial estimates the snows this winter were 20 to 30% greater than the average for the last two decades.
Þorsteinn argues that the heavy snows this winter, coupled with an unusually late and cold spring will most likely ensure that Icelandic glaciers will probably not shrink over the summer.
The disappearing of the glaciers postponed?
Not everybody is happy with the heavy snows this winter, as they mean that the central highlands remain largely closed to traffic as roads are still impassable. However, tourists whose plans to visit the highlands are thwarted by the heavy snow should take some solace in the fact that heavy snows in the Central Highlands and cold weather mean the glaciers are growing, rather than shrinking.
All of Iceland’s glaciers have experienced annual shrinking in the past 20 years due to climate change. Scientists have predicted that they might disappear within the next 100 to 150 years if current trends are not reversed.
While the cold weather this spring and heavy snows in the central highlands have frustrated many tourists they are good news to Icelandic glaciers who are projected to expand this year. According to meteorologists at the Icelandic Met Office this would be the first time all of Icelandic glaciers do not shrink year-on-year.
20-30% more snow means larger glaciers
According to Þorsteinn Þorstinsson, a glacierologist at the Icelandic Meteorological Office 2015 might be the first year since the mid-90s that all of the Icelandic glaciers do not shrink. In an interview with the Icelandic National Broadcasting Service, RÚV Þorsteinn points out that measurements carried out at Hofsjökull glacier, which is in the middle of the central highlands, indicate that the glacier added as much as eight meters of solid snowpack this winter.
Read more: See how ice cap Mýrdalsjökull glacier has changed 28-years
According to initial estimates the snows this winter were 20 to 30% greater than the average for the last two decades.
Þorsteinn argues that the heavy snows this winter, coupled with an unusually late and cold spring will most likely ensure that Icelandic glaciers will probably not shrink over the summer.
The disappearing of the glaciers postponed?
Not everybody is happy with the heavy snows this winter, as they mean that the central highlands remain largely closed to traffic as roads are still impassable. However, tourists whose plans to visit the highlands are thwarted by the heavy snow should take some solace in the fact that heavy snows in the Central Highlands and cold weather mean the glaciers are growing, rather than shrinking.
All of Iceland’s glaciers have experienced annual shrinking in the past 20 years due to climate change. Scientists have predicted that they might disappear within the next 100 to 150 years if current trends are not reversed.
