Jökull - 01.12.1968, Page 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