Icelandic glaciers are rapidly retreating and do not covere the same amount of Iceland‘s land area as before, this is evedent on new aerial photographs taken by Loftmyndir ehf.
Eleven percent of Iceland’s land area was said to be covered by three large glaciers, Vatnajökull, Langjökull and Hofsjökull, and numerous smaller ones, the correct volume is, however, closer to ten percent.
Read more: Ice tongues on the Southeast side of Vatnajökull glacier are disappearing
“Hofsjökull’s official size is 925 square metres (9957 ft2). On a satellite photograph taken in 2006 once can see that the glacier has retreated to 864 m2 (9300 ft2), however our aerial photographs from 2014 show that the glacier covers an area of 827 m2 (8902 ft2),” Karl Arnar Arnarson, Loftmyndir’s managing director, told Morgunblaðið.
Read more: Iceland's melting glaciers could result in more frequent volcanic eruptions
Mass balance is crucial to the survival of a glacier. Mass balance is the difference between accumulation and ablation. Changes is mass balance can be caused by variations in temperature or snowfall. A glacier with a sustained negative balance will retreat.
Read more: Glaciers in Westfjords and north Iceland have added to their mass
Icelandic glaciers are rapidly retreating and do not covere the same amount of Iceland‘s land area as before, this is evedent on new aerial photographs taken by Loftmyndir ehf.
Eleven percent of Iceland’s land area was said to be covered by three large glaciers, Vatnajökull, Langjökull and Hofsjökull, and numerous smaller ones, the correct volume is, however, closer to ten percent.
Read more: Ice tongues on the Southeast side of Vatnajökull glacier are disappearing
“Hofsjökull’s official size is 925 square metres (9957 ft2). On a satellite photograph taken in 2006 once can see that the glacier has retreated to 864 m2 (9300 ft2), however our aerial photographs from 2014 show that the glacier covers an area of 827 m2 (8902 ft2),” Karl Arnar Arnarson, Loftmyndir’s managing director, told Morgunblaðið.
Read more: Iceland's melting glaciers could result in more frequent volcanic eruptions
Mass balance is crucial to the survival of a glacier. Mass balance is the difference between accumulation and ablation. Changes is mass balance can be caused by variations in temperature or snowfall. A glacier with a sustained negative balance will retreat.
Read more: Glaciers in Westfjords and north Iceland have added to their mass
