![]() |
![]() Top of document |
![]() The larger glaciers of Norway |
![]() The larger glaciers of Lyngen |
![]() Site map |
![]() Email the author |
![]() Copyleft information |
![]() Detta dokument på svenska |
Last updated: June 2, 2001 | Unless otherwise specified; text, tables, photographs, maps and other graphics © 1999-2001 Gunnar Ljungstrand | ||||||
Images with size information (xx kB) leads to the corresponding image in 4 x better resolution. |
In Finnmark there are glaciers in two areas; on the island of Seiland and on the Bergsfjord peninsula (part of the glaciers there lie in the county of Troms). The highest point in the area is a snow dome on Øksfjordjøkelen (1204 m). The area is dominated by pronounced ice caps, and there are 4 larger ones.
The relatively easterly position of these glaciers seems to have caused them to miss the precipitation increase that has caused many Norwegian glaciers to currently be in advance. Øksfjordjøkelen has during the latest years been more or less in balance, while the smaller Langfjordjøkelen has had significant deficits. This is probably due to that it has a considerably lower average altitude, making it suffer worse from the increased summer temperature. The area also contains the only Norwegian glacier reaching down into the sea, if only in regenerated form.
# | Name | Type | Area (km2) | Length (km) | Lowest point (m) | Highest point (m) | Height difference (m) |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | Nordmannsjøkelen | Glacier complex | 2.00 | 2.8 | 490 | 1050 | 560 |
1a. | of which Nordmannsbreen | Ice cap | 1.56 | 1.4 | 775 | 1050 | 275 |
1b. | of which Straumdalsbreen | Ice cap | 0.44 | 1.6 | 490 | 1050 | 560 |
2. | Seilandsjøkelen | Glacier complex | 12.25 | 5.6 | 475 | 935 | 460 |
2a. | of which Breidhovdbreen | Ice cap | 1.48 | 1.3 | 805 | 920 | 115 |
2b. | of which Rätkajekna | Ice cap | 0.98 | 1.9 | 630 | 845 | 215 |
2c. | of which Seilandsbreen | Ice cap | 9.79 | 3.5 | 475 | 935 | 460 |
3. | Svartfjelljøkelen | Glacier complex | 6.26 | 4.0 | 350 | 1160 | 810 |
3a. | of which Brattnesbreen | Ice cap | 1.52 | 2.4 | 350 | 1160 | 810 |
3b. | of which Tverrfjordbreen | PIce cap | 1.09 | 2.1 | 615 | 1160 | 545 |
3c. | of which Bergsfjordbreen | Ice cap | 3.65 | 3.1 | 480 | 1065 | 585 |
4. | Øksfjordjøkelen | Glacier complex | 42.62 | 10.3 | 0 | 1205 | 1205 |
4a. | of which Skognesbreen | Ice cap | 0.85 | 1.3 | 790 | 1035 | 245 |
4b. | of which Tverrfjordbreen | Ice cap | 1.47 | 1.9 | 660 | 1040 | 380 |
4c. | of which Sørfjordbreen | Ice cap | 2.58 | 3.5 | 430 | 1205 | 775 |
4d. | of which Fjorddalsbreen | Ice cap | 5.52 | 3.0 | 460 | 1205 | 745 |
4e. | of which Juovvajekna | Ice cap | 5.33 | 3.1 | 280 | 1165 | 885 |
4f. | of which Harjijekna | Ice cap | 0.76 | 1.8 | 470 | 1110 | 640 |
4g. | of which Isfjordjøkelen | Ice cap | 12.56 | 5.3 | 0 | 1200 | 1200 |
4h. | of which Isvassbreen | Ice cap | 3.93 | 3.9 | 475 | 1175 | 700 |
4i. | of which Isdaljøkelen | Ice cap | 9.62 | 5.2 | 265 | 1205 | 940 |
5. | Langfjordjøkelen | Glacier complex | 9.01 | 5.6 | 280 | 1055 | 775 |
5a. | of which Vestre Tverrfjordbreen | Ice cap | 1.06 | 2.1 | 680 | 1055 | 375 |
5b. | of which Austre Tverrfjordbreen | Ice cap | 0.79 | 1.2 | 785 | 1055 | 270 |
5c. | of which Nordmannbreen | Ice cap | 0.96 | 1.5 | 675 | 1025 | 350 |
5d. | of which Langfjordbreen | Ice cap | 3.94 | 4.8 | 280 | 1055 | 775 |
5e. | of which Årjep Eljajekna | Ice cap | 0.76 | 1.3 | 760 | 940 | 180 |
5f. | of which Nuortap Eljajekna | Ice cap | 1.50 | 2.2 | 610 | 1050 | 440 |
Total | 72.14 |
Map over the glaciers on Seiland. (24 kB)
Map over the glaciers on Bergsfjordhalvøya. (61 kB)
Nordmannsjøkelen (2.00 km2) or in Lappish Tatjavuonjiekki is a small ice cap on Seiland. Previously it has been much more extensive, but now it has fragmented.
Nordmannsbreen (1.56 km2) is the northern, larger part of the remaining Nordmannsjøkelen, on the northern part of Seilandstuva.
Straumdalsbreen (0.44 km2) is a lesser part of Nordmannsjøkelen. It sends down a narrow tongue in Straumdalen.
Seilandsjøkelen (12.25 km2) is a rather large ice cap on the island of Seiland. As a whole it lies below 1000 m asl and gently slopes to the south. The glacier consists of three parts, of which one, Seilandsbreen, is fairly extensive. In Lappish it is called Nuortakätjjiekki.
Breidhovdbreen (1.48 km2) is a small, towards the NW facing part of Seilandsjøkelen. During the Little Ice Age this part was much more extensive, and had two significant ice tongues. The northwestern one stretched some 1.7 km further out than today and the northern one about 1.3 km.
Rätkajekna (0.98 km2) is the northeastern part of Seilandsjøkelen.
Seilandsbreen (9.79 km2) is the largest, towards the south facing, part of Seilandsjøkelen. It slopes rather gently and evenly, and should be relatively free of crevasses. When it was at its largest, during the Little Ice Age, it reached some 1.2 km further out than today.
Svartfjelljøkelen (6.26 km2) is an ice cap on Svartfjellet, a small distance to the north of its much larger neighbor Øksfjordjøkelen. It consists of three small rather steep parts, which thus ought to be substantially crevassed.
Brattnesbreen (1.52 km2) is a steep oulet from Svartfjelljøkelen, that slides down towards Brattnesdalen.
Tverrfjordbreen (1.09 km2), a narrow and steep tongue from Svartfjelljøkelen, flows down from the ice dome of Svartfjellet towards Tverrfjorddalen.
Bergsfjordbreen (3.65 km2) glides down westwards and is the largest part of Svartfjelljøkelen. During the Little Ice Age it slid down over a sheer drop and ended at a height of only 135 m almost down at Bergsfjordvatnet, roughly 1.2 km further out than today, but now it rests in its entirety above the precipice.
Øksfjordjøkelen (42.62 km2) is a large ice cap which dominates the Bergsfjord peninsula. It lies partly in the county of Troms and consists of 9 parts, of which Fjorddalsbreen, Juovvajekna, Isfjordjøkelen, Isvassbreen and Isdaljøkelen are the larger ones. The plateau proper slopes only gently, but the edges are very steep, resulting in many icefalls. The Lappish name for the glacier is Aksvuonjiekki.
Skognesbreen (0.85 km2) is a small outlet from Øksfjordjøkelen, that faces towards Skognesdalen.
Tverrfjordbreen (1.47 km2) in the northwestern part of Øksfjordjøkelen is a small tongue which glides down towards Tverrfjorddalen.
Sørfjordbreen (2.58 km2) is a steep and narrow outlet from Øksfjordjøkelen. When it was at its biggest, during the Little Ice Age, it reached some 1.1 km longer down Sørfjorddalen.
Fjorddalsbreen (5.52 km2) is a steep, complex outlet, with a number of smaller icefalls, at the north side of Øksfjordjøkelen. This one too extended much further down into Fjorddalen earlier, and stood during the Little Ice Age some 1.0 km further out than now.
Juovvajekna (5.33 km2) is a complex, steep and heavily crevassed outlet from Øksfjordjøkelen towards the east and Isbredalen. It has two branches; one northern and one southern, with up to 400 m high icefalls.
The northern branch of Juovvajekna has a very narrow and steep inlet from the ice plateau above.
During the Little Ice Age both branches flowed together and reached all the way out into the lake in the valley, some 1.4 km further out than today.
Harjijekna (0.76 km2) is a small part of Øksfjordjøkelen at its southeastern side, which during the Little Ice Age reached some 500 m further out into the valley.
Isfjordjøkelen (12.56 km2) is the largest outlet of Øksfjordjøkelen, and it flows southwards to a sheer precipice. There a 400 m high icefall (Øverisen/Padjejiekki) is created, where the ice tumbles down hundreds of m and creates a regenerated glacier (Nerisen/Vuollejiekki), which at least a few years ago still extended all the way down into Isfjorden (which the innermost part of Jøkelfjorden is called).
Formerly Nerisen was much larger and actively calved in the fiord, and during the Little Ice Age (until the 1860s) the ice was continuous all the way up, and the ice front stood some 500 m further out into the fiord. When ice tumbles down on Nerisen, and from there down into the fiord the ice avalanches sometimes causes huge waves, so-called tsunamis. They can still reach a height of several m many km out in the fiord, and may constitute a serious risk to life and property. Ice used for refrigeration of fish was mined from Nerisen right through 1949.
Isvassbreen (3.93 km2) is a southwestern outlet from Øksfjordjøkelen, which earlier calved in Isvatnet. It has now retreated out of the lake, which emerged from the ice as late as in the 1960s, entirely though. During the Little Ice Age this glacier extended all the way down into Skalsadalen, about 1.8 km further out than today.
Isdaljøkelen (9.62 km2) is a large western outlet of Øksfjordjøkelen. It has a pretty large and complex, 500 m high icefall.
During the Little Ice Age this glacier reached some 1.2 km further down the valley.
Langfjordjøkelen (9.01 km2) is a mid-sized ice cap, partly within the county of Troms, to the west of Øksfjordjøkelen. The glacier is divided into 6 parts, of which one, Langfjordbreen, is the only large one. Langfjordjøkelen keeps having deficits, in contrast with its neighbors, which are more or less in balance. This can be due to that it has a considerably lower average altitude. Its Lappish name is Partnatvuonjiekki.
Vestre Tverrfjordbreen (1.06 km2) is a small part of Langfjordjøkelen at its northwestern side.
Austre Tverrfjordbreen (0.79 km2), a northern patch of Langfjordjøkelen, slides down towards Tverrfjorddalen.
Nordmannbreen (0.96 km2) lies in the northeastern part of Langfjordjøkelen. This part may have been much reduced in area, since part of it has been entirely disconnected.
Langfjordbreen (3.94 km2), the large eastern outlet of Langfjordjøkelen, has a relatively even slope, though there are some crevasse zones, especially in the upper parts. This glacier is subject for mass balance measurements performed by NVE since 1989 (except for 1994-95), which have shown a continued retreat. This in contrast to most other investigated glaciers in Norway, which have been stable or advancing during the latest years. During the period 1989-2000 the glacier has decreased in thickness with 4.2 m water equivalent, evenly distributed over the entire area. Since its maximum during the Little Ice Age Langfjordbreen has retreated by 1.5 km, slightly more than half of which since 1966.
Årjep Eljajekna (0.76 km2) is a southwardly facing patch of Langfjordjøkelen.
Nuortap Eljajekna (1.50 km2) is a small steep western tongue on Langfjordjøkelen. During the Little Ice Age it reached some 800 m further down the valley than now.
(Glacier complexes treated as one unit)
Name | Area (km2) | Type | District |
---|---|---|---|
1. Øksfjordjøkelen | 42.62 | Glacier complex | Finnmark |
2. Seilandsjøkelen | 12.25 | Glacier complex | Finnmark |
3. Langfjordjøkelen | 9.01 | Glacier complex | Finnmark |
4. Svartfjelljøkelen | 6.26 | Glacier complex | Finnmark |
(Glacier complexes divided into ice streams)
Name | Area (km2) | Type | Glacier complex |
---|---|---|---|
1. Isfjordjøkelen | 12.56 | Ice cap | Øksfjordjøkelen |
2. Seilandsbreen | 9.79 | Ice cap | Seilandsjøkelen |
3. Isdaljøkelen | 9.62 | Ice cap | Øksfjordjøkelen |
4. Fjorddalsbreen | 5.52 | Ice cap | Øksfjordjøkelen |
5. Juovvajekna | 5.33 | Ice cap | Øksfjordjøkelen |
6. Langfjordbreen | 5.64 | Ice cap | Langfjordjøkelen |
![]() |
![]() Top of document |
![]() The larger glaciers of Norway |
![]() The larger glaciers of Lyngen |
![]() Site map |
![]() Email the author |
![]() Copyleft information |
![]() Detta dokument på svenska |
Last updated: June 2, 2001 | Unless otherwise specified; text, tables, photographs, maps and other graphics © 1999-2001 Gunnar Ljungstrand | ||||||
Images with size information (xx kB) leads to the corresponding image in 4 x better resolution. |