Jökull - 01.12.1956, Page 13

90 m and as the area of the glacier below that
line was ab. 6 km2 1870 the volume loss of this
area has been 0.5 km8. The volume loss of the
total ablation area I estimate ab. 0.8 kms. Prob-
ably the glacier has lost between \/s and \/ of
the total volume of the ablation area since ab.
1870.
STÍGÁRJÖKULL AND HÓLÁRJÖKULL.
The map fig. 7 also shows the great areal re-
duction of the two outlet glaciers Stígárjökull
and Hólárjökull. Since ab. 1870 Hólárjökull lias
receded ab. 1200 m and since 1904 it lias re-
ceded 650 m. On the lowland in front of Hólár-
jökull’s gorge there is a very regular semi-
circular terminal moraine (cf. fig. 12). The
photo fig. 11 was taken by Fr. W. W. Howell
either in 1890 or 1891 (Howell 1893, p. 62). It
shows the glacier tongue extencling to the inner
margin of the above-mentioned terminal mor-
aine but the moraine is considerably older. It
might be from the middle of the 18th century,
but it may also be prehistoric. Tepliroclirono-
logical studies might probably decide whether
it is prehistoric or not, but I have not yet had
opportunity to dig profiles there. A comparison
Itetween the photo fig. 11 and fig. 12, taken
60 years later, show clearlv how Hólárjökull
lias been reduced during that period.
According to the maps Stígárjökull receded
750 m 1904-1945.
Fig. 10. The inner side
of Kvínrmýrarkambur
with a series of small
„Satzend“ moraines.
Aerial photo S. Thor-
arinsson 28 Aug. 1950.
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