10. Variations of termini of glaciers in Iceland in recent centuries and their connection with climate

Abstract

Glaciers are intimately connected with climate. In Iceland the annual turnover in the glacier mass is relatively large so the consequences of mass-balance change are, in many cases, quite obvious. Glaciers increased in volume at a rapid pace in the 17th century and probably for some time before that. In general, glacier termini advanced slowly in the 18th and 19th centuries, reaching a maximum about 1890. The 20th century was a period of a great retreat of all glaciers in Iceland, especially during the warm period in the second third of the century; this left glaciers with less volume than in the mid-1600s. Most glaciers advanced in the years 1970–1995 primarily due to a colder climate. During the last five years of the century most glaciers in Iceland lost mass. Almost all variations of the termini of non-surging glaciers are closely related to changes in mass balance. Climate variations, large enough to cause noticeable change in the mass balance, lead to alterations in the position of the termini, usually with a time lapse of no more than 5 years from the shift in the climate.