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

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.

References

  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


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