![]() |
![]() Top of document |
![]() The glaciers of Sulitelma |
![]() The glaciers of Sweden |
![]() The glaciers of the Arjeplog mountains |
![]() Site map |
![]() Email the author |
![]() Copyleft information |
![]() Detta dokument på svenska |
Last updated: March 17, 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. |
Sarek is the largest high mountain area in Sweden. It lies between Stora and Lilla Lule älv in Norrbottens län (Lapland). To the west the area borders to Padjelanta and to the east to the high plateau of Ultevis. The highest peak is Sarektjåkkå (2089 m), the 2nd highest mountain in Sweden, and there are 7 additional peaks higher than 2000 m, some 35 1900-meter peaks, and about 55 1800-meter peaks.
Of the 14 high mountain massifs in Sarek 13 contain 122-141 glaciers (the fourteenth, Tarrekaise, has no glaciers). The former number is true if you treat glacier complexes as one glacier, and the latter if you treat the ice streams within the complexes as separate glaciers. The total glacier area is 165.31 km2, which is 55.7 % of the total glacier area of Sweden.
Sarek contains 11 glacier complexes, 25 (43) valley glaciers, 64 (67) cirque glaciers, and 22 (31) ice caps (the numbers within parenthesis with the glacier complexes split). The area of the glacier complexes varies between 1.95 and 17.38 km2, the valley glaciers between 0.64 and 11.17, the cirque glaciers between 0.05 and 1.27, and the ice caps finally between 0.12 and 7.44 km 2.
(For the interested, information concerning classification, naming, and measurements.)
(Glacier complexes treated as one unit)
Name | Area (km2) | Type | Massif |
---|---|---|---|
1. Ålkatj-jekna | 17.38 | Glacier complex | Ålkatj |
2. Mikkajekna | 11.49 | Glacier complex | Sarektjåkkå |
3. Pårtejekna | 11.17 | Valley glacier | Pårte |
4. Suottasjekna | 8.24 | Glacier complex | Sarektjåkkå |
5. Årjep Ruotesjekna | 8.13 | Glacier complex | Ruotes |
6. Luottojekna | 7.60 | Glacier complex | Luotto |
7. Akkajekna | 7.22 | Glacier complex | Ålkatj |
8. Årjep Sarekjekna | 4.90 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
9. Vartasjekna | 4.88 | Glacier complex | Sarektjåkkå |
10. Alep Pastajekna | 3.87 | Glacier complex | Skårki |
11. Ritajekna | 3.73 | Glacier complex | Ålkatj |
12. Ruopsokjekna | 3.58 | Valley glacier | Äpar |
13. Vattendelarglaciären | 3.41 | Glacier complex | Lanjek |
14. Vuoinesjekna | 3.20 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
15. Tjågnårisjekna | 3.00 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
16. Palkatjekna | 2.82 | Valley glacier | Pårte |
17. Hambergs glaciär | 2.54 | Valley glacier | Akka |
18. Kaska Sarekjekna | 2.53 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
19. Äparjekna | 2.26 | Valley glacier | Äpar |
20. Alep Ruotesjekna | 1.95 | Glacier complex | Ruotes |
21. Pierikjekna | 1.90 | Valley glacier | Äpar |
22. Lanjekjekna | 1.76 | Valley glacier | Lanjek |
23. Alep Vassjajekna | 1.62 | Valley glacier | Skårki |
24. Lulep Pastajekna | 1.61 | Valley glacier | Skårki |
25. Niakjekna | 1.60 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
26. Sarvajekna | 1.54 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
27. Hyllglaciären | 1.41 | Valley glacier | Akka |
28. Kassajekna | 1.39 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
29. Stuolojekna | 1.34 | Valley glacier | Piellorieppe |
30. Såltajekna | 1.27 | Cirque glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
31. Lulep Vassjajekna | 1.17 | Valley glacier | Skårki |
(Glacier complexes divided into ice streams)
Name | Area (km2) | Type | Massif |
---|---|---|---|
1. Pårtejekna | 11.17 | Valley glacier | Pårte |
2. Suottasjekna | 8.06 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
3. Årjep Ålkatj-jekna | 7.44 | Ice cap | Ålkatj |
4. Mikkajekna | 7.31 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
5. Jåkåtjkaskajekna | 7.18 | Ice cap | Ålkatj |
6. Årjep Ruotesjekna | 5.91 | Valley glacier | Ruotes |
7. Årjep Sarekjekna | 4.90 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
8. Vartasjekna | 3.72 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
9. Alep Sarekjekna | 3.69 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
10. Ruopsokjekna | 3.58 | Valley glacier | Äpar |
11. Nuortap Luottojekna | 3.27 | Valley glacier | Luotto |
12. Årjep Akkajekna | 3.22 | Valley glacier | Ålkatj |
13. Vuoinesjekna | 3.20 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
14. Ritajekna | 3.14 | Valley glacier | Ålkatj |
15. Alep Pastajekna | 3.12 | Valley glacier | Skårki |
16. Nuortap Akkajekna | 3.05 | Valley glacier | Ålkatj |
17. Tjågnårisjekna | 3.00 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
18. Palkatjekna | 2.82 | Valley glacier | Pårte |
19. Hambergs glaciär | 2.54 | Valley glacier | Akka |
20. Kaska Sarekjekna | 2.53 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
21. Äparjekna | 2.26 | Valley glacier | Äpar |
22. Västra Svenonius glaciär | 2.11 | Valley glacier | Luotto |
23. Östra Vattendelarglaciären | 2.10 | Valley glacier | Lanjek |
24. Sjelmajekna | 1.99 | Valley glacier | Ruotes |
25. Pierikjekna | 1.90 | Valley glacier | Äpar |
26. Kanalbergsglaciären | 1.89 | Ice cap | Ålkatj |
27. Lanjekjekna | 1.76 | Valley glacier | Lanjek |
28. Alep Vassjajekna | 1.62 | Valley glacier | Skårki |
29. Lulep Pastajekna | 1.61 | Valley glacier | Skårki |
30. Niakjekna | 1.60 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
31. Sarvajekna | 1.54 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
32. Hyllglaciären | 1.41 | Valley glacier | Akka |
33. Kassajekna | 1.39 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
34. Stuolojekna | 1.34 | Valley glacier | Piellorieppe |
35. Västra Vattendelarglaciären | 1.31 | Valley glacier | Lanjek |
36. Såltajekna | 1.27 | Cirque glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
37. Årjep Luottojekna | 1.23 | Ice cap | Luotto |
38. Lulep Vassjajekna | 1.17 | Valley glacier | Skårki |
39. Kavajekna | 1.16 | Valley glacier | Sarektjåkkå |
40. Lulep Ruotesjekna | 1.08 | Ice cap | Ruotes |
The glaciers in Sarek are on average slightly less steep than in Kebnekaise. This results in them usually being less heavily crevassed as well. There are four prominent icefalls, however (plus a few border cases); in Suottasjekna, Såltajekna, Alep Pastajekna, and Svenonius glaciär.
![]() The icefall in Suottasjekna |
![]() The icefall in Såltajekna |
![]() The icefall in Alep Pastajekna |
![]() The icefall in Svenonius glaciär |
A wind channel is a rounded groove in the ice, often several tens of metres deep and many hundreds of metres long, which sometimes is found on a glacier next to a mountain side. They are created by vortices in the air, caused by strong winds. These "scoop out" the ice in two ways: they stop much snow from accumulating there in winter, and more ice than usual melts there during summer, because of the warm wind vortices. In Sarek there are at least 7 wind channels:
Glacier with wind channel | Length of the wind channel (m) | Depth of the wind channel (m) |
---|---|---|
Mikkajekna | 700 | 35 |
Alep Sarekjekna | 800 | 25 |
Akkajekna | 900 | 35 |
Årjep Ålkatj-jekna | 400 | 25 |
Pierikpaktejekna | 200 | 25 |
Svenonius glaciär | 1300 | 40 |
Pårtejekna | 800 | 20 |
![]() |
![]() Top of document |
![]() The glaciers of Sulitelma |
![]() The glaciers of Sweden |
![]() The glaciers of the Arjeplog mountains |
![]() Site map |
![]() Email the author |
![]() Copyleft information |
![]() Detta dokument på svenska |
Last updated: March 17, 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. |