Iceland Commemorates First Glacier Lost to Climate Change

Okjökull glacier is the first glacier in Iceland to be lost to the climate crisis.

-

A century ago, the Okjökull glacier covered 15 sq km (5.8 sq miles) of mountainside in western Iceland and measured 50 metres thick, but it has since shrunk to barely 1 sq km of ice less than 15 metres thick. In 2014, it officially lost its status as a glacier.

A satellite view of Ok glacier in September, 1986, and August, 2019.

To have the status of a glacier, the mass of ice and snow of the glacier must be thick enough to move by its own weight. This usually requires the ice to be around 40 to 50 metres thick.

On August 18th, Iceland will unveil a plaque to commemorate the glacier, and raise awareness about the climate crisis. According to a study published by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) in April, nearly half of the world's heritage sites could lose their glaciers by 2100 if greenhouse gas emissions continue at the current rate.

The plaque in Iceland will raise awareness to the dangers of allowing the temperature across the world to increase. The plaque has “415ppm CO2” written on it, referring to the record level of carbon dioxide measured in the atmosphere in May 2019.

The plaque commemorating Ok glacier. It is "A letter to the future" with words written by Icelandic author and poet Andri Snaer Magnason.

Glaciers are important to human life, as well as ecosystems. Glacial till provides fertile soil for growing crops, and deposits of sand and gravel are used to make concrete and asphalt. The loss of glacial ice also reduces the amount of fresh water available for plants and animals that need fresh water to survive. Glaciers melting also contribute to rising sea levels, which can cause flooding in low-lying areas.

We need to take action to prevent further damage to glaciers and our planet.