Jökull


Jökull - 01.12.1968, Side 76

Jökull - 01.12.1968, Side 76
sociation) for some thirty years and its presi- dent 1935—37 and 1959—68. He edited a great number of its valuable Yearbooks and wrote himself three of them. The list of liis articles in periodicals, scientific and popular, is impres- sive. Most important, however, are his contribu- tions to glaciological research in Iceland, and they are really astonishing in view of the fact that the work already mentioned is more than a normal life-work. His interest in glaciology was awakened dur- ing lris cooperation with Ahlmann in Jotun- heimen. In 1930 he started ancl organized a systematic observation of the longitudinal varia- tion of Iceland’s glaciers and with the help of volunteers, mainly farmers, he measured annually the longitudinal variation of most of the glaciers not only in the coastal but also in the inland areas, for 37 years. Bearing in mind that many of these glaciers are very in- accessible this was a most creditable perform- ance. Together with his friend Ahlmann he organized and led the Swedish-Icelandic Vatna- jökull expedition in 1936, which laid the foundation of our present knowledge of the balance of this vast glacier. He also led the French-Icelandic Vatnajökull expedition in 1951, the main aim of which was to measure the thickness of the glacier by seismic sound- ings. Besides Vatnajökull he studied especially the plateau glaciers Mýrdalsjökull and Dranga- jökull. Eythorsson was an excellent expedition leader, effective and inspiring. He had a keen interest in climate history, especially in the climate amelioration of the first half of this century, and he wrote import- ant papers on the temperature changes in Ice- land. For many years he worked out annual reports, partly based on his own observations from airplane, on the drift ice situation off the coasts of Iceland. In 1950 Eythorsson founded the Jöklarann- sóknafélag Islands (Iceland Glaciological Soci- ety) and he was its president and chief editor of its journal, Jökull, until his death. Most of the members of this society are not profes- sional scientists. They are mechanics, engineers, carpenters, nurses, teachers, etc., having in common an interest in glaciers ancl a willing- ness to take part in expeditions, in building huts or in aiding the research work in other ways. The inland glaciological station at Jökul- heimar on the western border of Vatnajökull and the hut on Grímsfjall in Central Vatna- jökull were built entirely by these volunteers. Eythorsson realized that without the help of volunteers glaciological research in Iceland would necessarily be very limited and its crea- tion of this group of enthusiasts will be very important for future glaciological research in Iceland. The memory of Jon Eythorsson will long inspire that research. Sigurdur Thorarinsson. 410 JÖKULL 18. ÁR

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