Sólheimajökull Glacier: A Geography Case Study
Friday, 23rd August 2024
Share:
Travel Specialist and former geography teacher, Ray, shares a full guide to Sólheimajökull glacier for geographers and travellers.
Sólheimajökull (translating as ‘home of the sun glacier’ in Icelandic) is an outlet glacier flowing from the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, which sits atop the infamous Katla volcano system in South Iceland.
This blog will explore where and how Sólheimajökull was formed, its key features, why it has become such a magnet for tourists, how to visit this icy marvel yourself and why its relentless retreat is so important to study and understand.
A Guide to the Sólheimajökull Glacier
Here’s everything you need to know about the history, key features and the impacts climate change has had on Sólheimajökull Glacier.
About Sólheimajökull Glacier
Sólheimajökull is one of the most monitored and easily accessible glaciers in the world, with scientific records dating back to the 1930s and approximately 300 tourists visiting each day during the high season.
Sólheimajökull is a magnet for adventurers seeking a thrilling glacier hike or ice climbing experience, as well as those simply looking to appreciate the magnificence and beauty of the glacier from the convenient (but ever-lengthening) path from Sólheimajökull car park.
Spanning approximately 10 kilometres in length and 1-2 kilometres in width, this glacier tongue offers a dynamic and ever-changing icy landscape sculpted by the relentless forces of climate change.
Since the mid-1990s, the glacier has retreated by up to 50 metres a year, creating a glacial lagoon complete with icebergs at its snout, and revealing an amazing landscape featuring distinctive landforms such as lateral moraines, kettle holes and an extensive outwash plain.
Whether you’re a seasoned climber, a curious traveller, or a geography student, the glacier’s rugged beauty and the opportunity to explore its icy expanse make it a must-visit destination on the south coast of Iceland.
Where is the Sólheimajökull Glacier located?
Of all the Icelandic glaciers, Sólheimajökull Glacier is the most conveniently located, on the south coast, just a short distance from the charming coastal town of Vik.
The glacier makes its way down from the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap (the fourth-largest in Iceland) on top of the 1,512 metre high caldera volcano Katla.
It ends its journey approximately 6km from the sea, 100 metres above sea level.
Key features of the Sólheimajökull Glacier
Crevasses
A glacier is ‘a body of ice that moves under its own mass and gravity.’ Sólheimajökull is no exception and has been moving downhill at a rate of approximately 25cm per day.
Its mass comes primarily from snow, which accumulates where it is colder at higher altitudes and compresses under further layers of snowfall into glacial ice.
This then moves downhill, in this case through the valley that the glacier has eroded for itself over thousands of years. The ice then melts at low altitudes, where temperatures are more commonly above freezing.
As the ice moves over steeper and shallower gradients, its rigid surface cracks perpendicular to its direction of movement, stretching and compressing the ice.
These cracks are known as crevasses, and where surface water drains into them, moulins are formed. This water can reach the base of the glacier, lubricating it and allowing the glacier to move more easily by a process known as basal sliding.
Ice caves
As the ice moves, it uses fine rock material at its margins to erode the surrounding landscape by abrasion.
Larger rocks embedded in the ice can also scratch deep grooves into the valley sides, and these striations can be seen alongside Eyjafjallajökull.
Where meltwater flowed through glaciers such as Sólheimajökull, it can carve out an ice cave; a number of such caves can be found within the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap and its outlet glaciers, and they too can be visited by tourists.
Tephra layers
During the eruption of Katla in 1918, a jökulhlaup (or glacier burst) triggered by the melting of the ice cap caused a vast quantity of meltwater to flow out of the Sólheimajökull glacier. This led to a significant retreat of the glacier and the formation of a glacier lagoon.
The ash produced by the interaction of the lava and the ice led to a blanket of black ash deposits over the ice. Much of it has since been incorporated into the glacial ice itself as subsequent layers of snow fell on top.
Each black line in the ice indicates an eruption. In 2010, the eruption of Eyjafjallajökull also added to the ash on the glacier’s surface. The presence of ash has two conflicting effects on the melting of the ice.
Whilst small quantities of ash can increase the rate of melting by decreasing the albedo effect (the darker surface reflects less and absorbs more of the sun’s radiation), thick layers of ash and volcanic tephra have an insulating quality and so protect the ice from the sun’s radiation.
The fluvioglacial landscape beyond the glacier is made up of three key elements:
- The proglacial lake
- A river
- The outwash plain or sandur beyond the snout (front) of the glacier, which is punctuated by depressions called kettles
These are where detached blocks of ice buried in sediment sat for long periods. The volcanic ash insulates these, keeping them from melting as quickly as they might otherwise.
Lateral Moraine
The sides of the valley alongside Sólheimajökull have been severely affected by freeze-thaw weathering. As material is loosened, it falls onto the glacier’s surface at its edges, forming a long ridge of material known as a lateral moraine. Where tributary glaciers have merged higher up the valley, a similar ridge known as a medial moraine has formed down the middle of Sólheimajökull.
Glacier rivers
The River Jökulsá á Sólheimasandi (which translates as “Glacial river on Sólheimasandur glacial outwash”) now flows out from the lake to the sea, carrying lots of sediment known as “drift”.
It gives the river a milky appearance typical of glacial-fed rivers. Except when there is maximum melting from the glacier, the river features a braided channel winding around its deposits.
Unlike the unsorted deposits of the glacier (known as glacial “till”), the material deposited by the glacial river is smoothed, sorted and stratified, meaning it is deposited gradually in size order as the water loses energy, as well as being deposited in layers – glaciers will simply drop everything randomly.
Weather and Climate at Sólheimajökull Glacier
The weather at Sólheimajökull Glacier is notoriously unpredictable, with conditions that can change rapidly.
The south facing glacier means the sun shines into this valley (hence its name), and during the summer months, temperatures typically range from 5 to 15°C; nevertheless, winter brings colder temperatures, ranging from -15 to -5°C. The huge mass of ice high up above the valley on the volcano creates katabatic winds (sinking cold air driven by gravity) which flow down the glacier towards the Atlantic Ocean.
How Climate Change has affected Sólheimajökull glacier
Like many glaciers in Iceland and across the world, scientists believe Sólheimajökull’s retreat to be clear evidence of climate change and global warming.
Iceland, just outside the Arctic Circle, is warming approximately four times as fast as the Northern Hemisphere average. This means that less snow accumulates each winter, less survives each summer, and so less snow is compacted into new ice.
At the same time, more melting is taking place along the length of the glacier, leading to net ablation (loss of ice) from the glacial budget.
Sólheimajökull has retreated by approximately a kilometre since 2000! This time-lapse shows the glacier’s movement and retreat over a decade (between 2007 and 2016).
Whilst the loss of ice at Sólheimajökull isn’t in itself a great problem ecologically, the retreat of this glacier is a very clear visual aid in helping us understand that our climate is warming rapidly as a result of anthropogenic carbon emissions.
Areas such as south Iceland will likely become more pleasant places to live because as the climate warms:
- Farmland may become more productive
- Biodiversity may increase
- The volcanoes will become less destructive without ice on top of them
All of these positives, though, will pale into insignificance compared with the negative effects of Enhanced Climate Change globally, and that is why visiting Sólheimajökull (and other glaciers like it) is such a valuable thing to do, to appreciate the rate of the change and to learn from the experts.
Sólheimajökull Glacier Retreat
Through interviews with local experts (including glaciologist Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson), we’ve created a short film that looks at the recent trends and examines the links to Climate Change.
The video shows:
-
The study of glacial processes (focusing on glacier mass balance), the processes of glacier movement and the processes of glacial erosion
-
An examination of freeze-thaw weathering and its impacts on the landscape
- The study of a selection of glacial and fluvioglacial landforms, including lateral moraines, till and the outwash plain
- A critical examination of the impacts of global warming on the glacial mass balance and the future of glaciers and ice caps in Iceland
This video is suitable for all ages (and is particularly helpful to students aged between 14 and 18), studying glacial landscapes and the effects of climate change.
The changes seen at Sólheimajökull also illustrate ‘Patterns in Environmental Quality and Sustainability’, a core theme in IB Geography.
Experience Sólheimajökull Glacier
Sólheimajökull glacier is a highlight for any South Iceland itinerary. Its location makes it an ideal day trip destination for those exploring Iceland’s south coast from accommodation in Reykjavik, Selfoss.
Getting to Sólheimajökull glacier
The glacier is easily accessible via the Ring Road (Route 1), which winds along the scenic southern coastline. Visitors can either drive directly to the glacier car park or opt for a guided tour that includes transportation from Reykjavik.
I have visited Sólheimajökull glacier many times, but the stark contrast of the scenery as you approach always strikes me. You’ll notice that green fields transform into dramatic ice formations!
The parking is free and a short distance from the glacier lagoon.
Accessibility
Sólheimajökull glacier is easy to access due to its proximity to the Ring Road.
Always remember that glacier environments can be unpredictable, and glacier hikes are weather-dependent.
What to wear
The famous Icelandic saying “There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing,” always springs to mind when planning glacier hikes.
No matter what season you visit Iceland, the weather can be unpredictable, so layers will be your best friend!
We recommend packing:
- Waterproof trousers and outerwear
- Waterproof, sturdy walking boots
- Thermal layers
- A thin hat (to wear under your helmet)
- Gloves
- Sunglasses
- SPF
Sólheimajökull glacier hike
You can see many of the features of the glacier from the path (which stops safely short of the ice), there’s nothing better than going on a glacier hike with a professional guide.
A glacier guide will not only keep you safe as you follow their carefully chosen path across the ice, but they are also extremely knowledgeable about this icy wonderland.
In the car park, you will don the safety gear (safety harnesses, crampons and ice axes which make you look and feel extremely cool) before heading off to learn more about the majestic Sólheimajökull.
For the more adventurous, you can opt for a Glacier Adventure Walk where, using ropes, you can get up close and personal with crevasses, moulins and ice tunnels!
A glacier hike is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, and Sólheimajökull is a great example to see the impacts of global warming up close.
Nearby attractions
Add these nearby attractions to the itinerary for an action packed day:
Skogafoss- Skogafoss is one of the most photographed waterfalls in Iceland, and with good reason, too.
You can climb the staircase next to the falls to watch the water rush over the cliff. This waterfall truly captures the beauty of Icelandic nature!
Mýrdalsjökull Glacier- Mýrdalsjökull ice cap covers nearly 600 square kilometres, and its highest peak is almost 1500 metres tall! It’s famous for sitting above the notoriously explosive Katla volcano system.
Seljalandsfoss- Ever wondered what it’s like to be inside a waterfall? Well, a visit to Seljalandsföss is possibly the closest you can get!
The waterfall has a whopping 60m cascade, but it’s unique because you can follow a pathway behind the curtain of water.
Reynisfjara- Famous for its twisting basalt rock formations caused by volcanic eruption and sea stacks, this black sand beach is an experience like no other.
It was also one of the filming locations for the Game of Thrones series!
Although the Sólheimajökull glacier is a popular tourist attraction, it tells the story of climate change in a real-world setting.
Whether you’re a student visiting the glacier on a school trip or travelling to Iceland for a holiday, there’s a lot to be learned when you visit Sólheimajökull glacier.
Request your free Sólheimajökull glacier classroom poster!
