Jökull - 01.01.2004, Page 89

Society report
1974 Spring Icelandic Glaciological Society Expedition to
Vatnajökull
Richard S. Williams, Jr.1 and Magnús Már Magnússon2
1 U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Science Center Woods Hole, MA 02543-1598 U.S.A.; e-mail: rswilliams@usgs.gov
2 International Glaciological Society, Lensfield Road, Cambridge CB2 1ER U.K.; e-mail: magnus@igsoc.org
Abstract — From 25 May to 3 June 1974, the Iceland Glaciological Research Society undertook an exped-
ition to the western and northern parts of Vatnajökull. Fourteen members of the expedition, led by Gunnar
Guðmundsson and Carl Eiríksson, traveled over the surface of the ice cap from Jökulheimar at the margin
of Tungnárjökull to Grímsfjall (Svíahnúkur eystri). Subsequently, the expedition traveled from Grímsfjall to
Grímsvötn to establish the elevation of the snow-and ice-covered surface and to make snowpit measurements of
the 1973-1974 accumulation. From Grímsfjall they traversed to Kverkfjöll and Hveradalur, back to Grímsfjall,
and then returned to Jökulheimar.
25 May:
Two snowcats, a Canadian Bombardier and a U.S.
Navy snowcat, and other equipment were transported
from Gunnar Guðmundsson hf., Reykjavík, to Jökul-
heimar. From Jökulheimar, the snowcats and sledge
were moved up onto the sloping, dirt-cone-covered
surface of Tungnárjökull.
26 May:
We spent the morning loading the snowcats and sled-
ge and calibrating the navigational equipment, and
departed for Grímsfjall at 1315 hr. At first, progress
was very slow in the Bombardier because of wet snow
and slush. We progressed more rapidly once metal
cleats were affixed to the treads of the Bombardier,
under the supervision of Gunnar Guðmundsson, who
drove the Bombardier. At 1930 hr, the transmission in
the Bombardier failed. We called Reykjavík by radi-
ophone and located a transmission in Akureyri. We
were told that a transmission would be transported by
an Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter around noon the
following day, weather permitting. We erected three
tents at an elevation of about 1,000 m on the terminus
of Tungnárjökull in a snowstorm.
27 May:
The weather cleared overnight, followed by a signifi-
cant drop in temperature. A strong wind produced a
noticeable chill, but the day dawned bright and sunny.
The Icelandic Coast Guard helicopter (TF-GNA) arri-
ved with the new transmission, seals, and lubricants,
as promised (Figure 1). The replacement transmissi-
on was installed by 1600 hr, and we departed for
Grímsvötn. Initially, soft snow slowed us until 2200
hr, when we encountered a harder snow surface. By
attaching ropes to the Bombardier, Bára Guðmunds-
dóttir, Soffía Vernharðsdóttir, and Hildigunnur Þor-
steinsdóttir skied over the firmer snow surface. Th-
ere was very little wind, that night, and the clear sky
revealed a gibbous Moon. We stopped to refuel at
2300 hr, at which time we spotted 6 or 7 birds, flying
low over the surface of the ice cap, heading in a nort-
hwesterly direction.
28 May:
We arrived at the hut on Grímsfjall at 0200 hr, a cold
(-12◦C) windy location overlooking the Grímsvötn
caldera. The hut was encrusted with rime ice and
hard-crusted snow. It took about 1.5 hr to dig out the
doorway and enter the hut. Inside, the hut had a “Dr.
Zhivago” look, with ice frozen on the ceiling, which
JÖKULL No. 54, 2004 89