Sólheimajökull

Coordinates: 63°33′N 19°18′W / 63.550°N 19.300°W / 63.550; -19.300
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Sólheimajökull in its valley with Mýrdalsjökull behind
Map of Sólheimajökull Glacier, 1951
Map of Sólheimajökull Glacier, 1951

Sólheimajökull (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈsoulˌheiːmaˌjœːkʏtl̥]) is a glacier in southern Iceland, between the volcanoes Katla and Eyjafjallajökull. Part of the larger Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Sólheimajökull is a prominent and popular tourist location owing to its size and relative ease of access.[1]

Panorama of Sólheimajökull glacial tongue and the valley leading to it
Sólheimajökull glacier panorama

Geology[edit]

Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier of the larger Mýrdalsjökull ice cap which lies atop the Katla caldera. It sits near the town of Vík í Mýrdal, a popular tourist location about 180km southeast of Reykjavik.[2] The glacier is melting rapidly around 60 metres (200 ft) per year [3] owing to warmer annual temperatures due to climate change. It is possible that many of the country's glaciers will become extinct within the next century.[citation needed]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "The Incredibly Shrinking Glacier in the South of Iceland". Stuck in Iceland. 2013-04-29. Retrieved 2018-03-28.
  2. ^ "Sólheimajökull".
  3. ^ "Sólheimajökull Glacier". Fun Iceland. Retrieved 12 November 2023.

63°33′N 19°18′W / 63.550°N 19.300°W / 63.550; -19.300