Sólheimajökull Glacier, Iceland
Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier of the mighty icecap of Mýrdalsjökull on the South Coast of Iceland. It is one of the most easily accessible glaciers to reach from Reykjavík, just 158 kilometres (98 miles) away. The constantly changing face of Sólheimajökull glacier will reveal to you the power of nature in a stark way. The marks of climate change can be seen very clearly here – the glacier has retreated about a kilometer over the last decade.(https://guidetoiceland.is/travel-iceland/drive/solheimajokull)
Where is Solheimajokull located?
GPS 63.5569° N, 19.3028° W
Sólheimajökull is 158 km south of Reykjavík. From an easterly direction, Höfn is 302 km, Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is 233 km and the Skaftafell Visitor Center is 170 km. Other places of interest around the area include the little town of Vík (30.7 km), Skógafoss waterfall (11.9 km), Seljalandsfoss waterfall (38.5 km), the black sand beach at Reynisfjara(31.8 km) and the Reynisdrangar peaks (31 km).
About Sólheimajökull Glacier and the Mýrdalsjökull icecap
Mýrdalsjökull itself has many other outlet glaciers; overall, it is the fourth largest ice cap in Iceland. Beneath its thick surface is one of the country’s most infamous volcanoes, Katla.
What is a glacier? – Check out our Blog Post HERE!
The effects of Climate Change – The loss of Okjökull Glacier
Iceland’s first glacier to be lost to rising temperatures is to be marked with a memorial carrying a grim warning about the impact of climate change if the world fails to act on time.
Okjökull, better known as ‘Ok,’ Glacier has melted, thanks to climate change and scientists warn that this is just the beginning of a grim future for Iceland’s 400 glaciers — and us – if climate patterns continue melting ice caps and glaciers.
An Icelandic author has written a eulogy on a memorial plaque for the lost glacier and plan to place it atop Okjökull Mountain on August 18, 2019 which reads;
“A letter to the future
Ok is the first Icelandic Glacier to lose its status as a glacier. In the next 200 years all of our glaciers are expected to follow the same path.
This monument is to acknowledge that we know what is happening and what needs to be done. Only you know if we did it.
Augues 2019
415ppm C02″
Reported around the world, news about loss of Okjökull Glacier:
News about the https://www.washingtonpost.com/climate-environment/2019/07/25/glacier-is-dead-now-monument-tells-future-visitors-whose-fault-it-was/
https://edition.cnn.com/2019/07/22/world/iceland-glacier-climage-change-trnd/index.html