Glaciers shrink in 2018

The Norwegian Glacier Museum & Ulltveit-Moe Center for Climate Science are measuring the front position of two glaciers in Jostedalsbreen National Park. The measurements show that they are retreating in 2018.

The front of Vetle Supphellebreen on October 11, 2018.

Front position measurements

After advancing for the past three years, Vetle Supphellebreen was supposed to retreat in 2018. The result was -6 meters. Ever since the Norwegian Glacier Museum resumed measurements in 2011, the glacier has remained relatively stable in terms of front position. The glacier was also monitored in the period 1899-1944 and then retreated almost 450 meters.

Haugabreen glacier in early October 2018.

The other glacier whose front position is measured is Haugabreen in Jølster. It decreased by 16 meters in 2018, and has retreated a total of 69 meters since we started measuring the glacier in 2013. In recent years, more and more water has appeared around the front of the glacier. In the long term, it may become difficult for those going on glacier hikes to get up onto the glacier dry-shod.

Bøyabreen on October 1, 2018.

In addition, the more well-known glacier arms, Bøyabreen and Store Supphellebreen, are also monitored by taking photographs every year. The melting of the glaciers makes front position measurements difficult, but photographing the glaciers allows us to document their development.

More information about front position measurements and other glacier measurements can be found on NVE's glacier data website . There you can read that glaciers in Norway shrank significantly in 2018, for example, Engabreen in Nordland retreated a full 140 meters and Nigardsbreen melted 81 meters.

Glaciers and climate

The hot summer took a toll on the snow and ice mass of Jostedalsbreen in 2018. The glaciers have been retreating for over 20 years since they advanced in the late 1990s. This is part of the long-term trend of glacier shrinkage in an increasingly warm climate. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), 2018 is set to be among the warmest years ever recorded on the planet since temperature measurements began in the mid-19th century.

Breane is, among other things, our most important water reservoir. As much as 70% of all fresh water on earth is stored in the form of ice, and the glaciers thus provide a stable water supply for many people. In addition, the glaciers around the world are one of our best climate archives.