Glaciers in Iceland

Almost all types of glaciers are found in Iceland, ranging from the small cirque glaciers to extensive glacier caps reminding one of the inland ice of Greenland. The latter are drained by broad lobe-shaped outlets or by valley glaciers of the alpine type.

By far the largest of the glacier caps is Vatnajökull in Southeast Iceland with an area of 8,300 square km, equal in size to all the glaciers on the European mainland put together. It reaches a thickness of 1,000 m. One of its southern outlets, Breišamerkurjökull, descends to sea level.

Other large glacier caps are Langjökull (953 sq. km) and Hofsjökull (925 sq. km), both in the central highlands, Mżrdalsjökull (596 sq. km) in the south, and Drangajökull (160 sq. km) in the northwest.

On the tip of Snęfellsnes, across the bay from Reykjavķk, one of the smaller glaciers, Snęfellsjökull (11 sq. km) may be seen in clear weather and affords a fascinating sight at sundown. The Icelandic glaciers are exciting goals for hard adventurers, but many of them are dangerous to cross owing to rifts and crevasses in the ice.