James Bond Location on the Move

The Vatnajokull ice cap is one of the world’s largest ice masses outside Greenland and Antarctica, covering over 8,000km² and renowned for volcanic activity. The proglacial lagoon, some 200 metres deep and fast-growing beyond 15km², is separated from the battering waves of the North Atlantic Ocean by a narrow strip of land along which Iceland’s famous Route One motorway runs. Massive ice cliffs line the lake at the glacier margin where huge icebergs carve away from the main ice stream with incredible noise and force, only to find themselves stranded in the lake. Only small ice floes are able to meet the sea. The lake stretches far inland beneath the ice cap and is creeping into an underground grove in the bedrock, a feature revealed by state-of-the-art radio echo technology.

In early June, the eastern part of the outlet glacier began to surge forward in a similar manner to many other periodically surging outlets of Vatnajokull. Glacier surges turn the glacier surface into a maze of ice towers and crevasses, and can advance many kilometres within just a few months. At Jokulsarlon, the surge may be attributed to the fact that the eastern part of the outlet glacier is floating on water and thinning fast in the lower reaches. At a certain point a large section of the glacier may begin to break up; a kind of massive iceberg. This particular outlet glacier is not known to have surged before, which may be contributing to the rapid advance of the surge (see below the movement of the glacier).

The broken surface has sent an enormous number of icebergs into the lake, filling it almost completely. The icebergs in the future may halt the operation of the sightseeing boats that cruise on the lake but never fear - Icelanders expect the unexpected, and have plans in place for glacial boat trips in an alternative lagoon.

Latest Developments (1/7/09)
Since the onrush of Breidamerkurjökull glacier, which resulted in up to 600-700 meters cracking and falling from it, Jokulsarlon has now become Iceland’s deepest lake according to reports from mbl.is.

Einar B. Einarsson, owner of excursion company operating boat trips on the lagoon sailed further towards the glacier than ever before, where he measured the depth of the water. It turned out to be 284 meters.  Until now, Öskjuvatn Lake has been considered to be Iceland’s deepest lake, at 217 meters. According to the Weather Bureau, measurements of the glacier had already suggested this depth, but following the glacial onrush, the lake has further deepened.

Discover the World Announcement
We are now offering sightseeing flights from the western village of Hofn from 1 July until 31 August 2009 that will take clients for a bird’s eye view of Jokulsarlon, the vast black sands of Skeidararsandur and the inner reaches of the Vatnajokull ice cap. These 45 minutes flights, costing £180 per person will offer a unique glimpse of the natural processes that continue to shape our incredible world.

Note flights are weather dependant, and operated by a small twin prop aircraft.

Please contact our Iceland Specialist team for further details on 01737 214 250 or email iceland@discover-the-world.co.uk

Text: Ari Trausti Gudmundsson, geophysicist
Photographs: Ragnar Th. Sigurdsson, Arctic Images