JOSTEDAL GLACIER

For this week's travels, I decided to visit Norway and check out the Jostedal Glacier, also known as the largest glacier in continental Europe. This ice cap accounts for about half of the Josedalsbreen National Park, and is located near some beautiful fjords. An ice cap is basically a smaller scale version of an ice sheet, as it covers the landscape underneath it. High amounts of snowfall contribute to the glacier maintaining itself, and it can be gather that the recrystallized snow, known as firn, has helped the glacier maintain its size. However, studies have shown that in recent years the glacier has been decreasing in size, and one of the glacial arms lost about 50 meters, and therefore the glacial budget has seen an increasing ablation. Overall, the area of Norwegian glaciers has decreased by about 12% over 50 years. (https://www.lifeinnorway.net/jostedalsbreen-glacier/)