Jökull - 01.01.2020, Page 21

Hannesdóttir et al.
Figure 7: The extent of Mýrdalsjökull ice cap, Eyjafjallajökull ice cap, Tindfjallajökull, Kaldaklofsjökull and Torfajök-
ull at various years since the LIA maximum in ∼1890. G: Gígjökull, S: Steinsholtsjökull, F: Fimmvörðuháls. – Útlínur
Mýrdalsjökuls, Eyjafjallajökuls, Tindfjallajökuls, Kaldaklofsjökuls og Torfajökuls á mismunandi tímum frá því um 1890.
jökull has not been traced by detailed geomorpholog-
ical mapping in the field, except for the proglacial
area of Gígjökull and Steinsholtsjökull (Kirkbride and
Dugmore, 2008). Eyjafjallajökull ice cap decreased
by 50 km2 during the period ∼1890–2019, corre-
sponding to 43% loss in area compared with its max-
imum LIA extent. The rate of area change since 2000
is in the range of −0.7 km2 a−1 to −0.9 km2 a−1 (Ta-
ble 3).
Tindfjallajökull, Torfajökull and Kaldaklofsjökull
have lost 10 km2, 15 km2 and 16 km2, respectively, in
the ∼1890–2019 period (Table 2), corresponding to
45%, 74% and 80% area loss, relative to their maxi-
mum LIA extent. Their maximum LIA extent has not
been mapped by field surveys, and the glacial geo-
morphologic evidence is rather sparse in the rhyolitic
mountains north of Mýrdalsjökull ice cap. When Karl
Sapper visited Torfajökull in 1906, its southwest mar-
gin had recently receded up to 150 m (Þórarinsson,
1943). The extent of Tindfjallajökull in 1907 is shown
on the map of the Danish General Staff, as well as
some moraines in front of the glacier snouts, presum-
ably from the LIA (Danish Geodetic Institute, 1908).
Drangajökull, Gláma and Snæfellsjökull
Drangajökull ice cap has decreased by 133 km2 dur-
ing the time period ∼1850–2019, which amounts to
a 49% reduction in area relative to its maximum
LIA size (Table 2, Figure 8). The rate of area
change was highest during the time period 2014–
18 JÖKULL No. 70, 2020