The highest peak of the glacial volcano Snæfellsjökull is no longer covered in ice, for the first time in human memory.
The mountain itself is about 700,000 years old, and has been covered by glacial ice in the upper regions for as long as human beings have observed the mountain. However, RÚV now reports that Þúfan, the mountain’s highest peak, is now free of ice.
Geologist Haraldur Sigurðsson, writing on his blog, reportedly took a helicopter trip over the mountain on August 26, where he took a photo of the now bare peak (bottom photo). He adds that the glacier itself appears to be melting quickly.
Haraldur wrote that he considers this a great opportunity for geologists to study the rock layers found at the peak, which is at an altitude of 1,446 metres, to give science more clues to the mountain’s volcanic origins.
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