Students Measuring Sólheimajökull’s Reduction

Sólheimajökull in Mýrdalur has withdrawn by eleven meters from last year. This was measured by the students at Hvolsskóli in Hvolsvöllur, reports Morgunblaðið.

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Hvolsskóli’s students have been observing the melting process since 2010. They measure the distance between an information plaque and the border of the glacier to see how much the glacier shrinks each year. In 2010, the distance was only 318 meters from the sign to the border. Today, it is 726 meters, which means that the glacier’s border has withdrawn 408 meters since 2010.

According to the headmaster, Birna Sigurðardóttir, the students used to be able to measure the distance on dry land, but these days a large lagoon has emerged when the glacier has melted. Now the students need a boat in order to observe the melting process.

It is a tradition at the school to explore how much the glacier has melted. “These are very educational trips. It is interesting to see how the country is constantly changing,” Birna comments.