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All You Need to Know About Ok Glacier, the first Dead Glacier in Iceland

júl. 24, 2020

All You Need to Know About Ok Glacier, the first Dead Glacier in Iceland

Author: Raquel Herrera

What is the Ok Glacier, and why is it famous? Why are glaciers important to Iceland? How has climate change affected the glaciers, and what are the dangers they face? Keep reading to learn more about Ok (and other glaciers) in Iceland!

Iceland is surrounded by volcanoes and glaciers, which is why it is sometimes referred to as ‘The Land of Fire and Ice’. In fact, around 11% of the country is covered with glaciers, and some of them cover active volcanoes. 

Exploring the glaciers is one of the most popular activities in Iceland, and the options are varied. For example, you can go glacier hiking, snowmobiling or ice climbing. If you are visiting Iceland in winter, you can even explore a natural ice cave inside a glacier.

But, what exactly is a glacier? 

When the temperature is as cold as it is on top of mountains (including volcanoes) in Iceland, falling snow doesn’t melt. Over the years, this snow compresses into a large, thick ice mass known as a glacier. 

Glaciers are also constantly moving because of internal pressure (its own weight and gravity). Although slow, this movement can drastically change the surrounding landscape, but it will take hundreds or even thousands of years.

They also change internally; they slowly deform as they flow and create cracks and sometimes incredible glacial ice caves. 

Glaciers also give place to glacial rivers which, when merged with natural hot springs, can create the perfect temperature for bathing. A good example is Krauma Spa, that mixes the waters from the Deildartunguhver hot springs and Ok, the “Dead Glacier”.

A Brief History of Ok Glacier

Ok Glacier (Okjökull, in Icelandic) was the smallest glacier in Iceland. It was located on top of the Ok shield volcano, in the Western region of the country. The Ok volcano is situated near Langjökull glacier and Þórisjökull volcano, halfway between Reykjavík and the Snæfellsnes peninsula.
 
Ok officially lost its glacier-status in 2014, when it was no longer thick enough to move, and it was reduced to a small ice cap on top of a volcano. 

Although it was declared “dead” that year, it probably died around a decade ago. But it is the first glacier in Iceland we lose to global warming and the scientific community has warned that hundreds of other glaciers in Iceland could soon disappear.

In 2018, a documentary named “Not Ok” was released to increase awareness about this event and the consequences of climate change in glaciers. 

A year later, “funeral” was held for Ok Glacier. A commemorative plaque was installed with the global atmospheric carbon dioxide number for that month: 415 ppm. It also has an inscription from Icelandic writer and activist Andri Snær Magnason which reads:

A letter to the future

Ok is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier.
In the next 200 years, all our glaciers are expected to follow the same path.
This monument is to acknowledge that we know
what is happening and what needs to be done.
Only you know if we did it.

The area where the glacier once lived was renamed Ok, and the “jökull” suffix,  which means ‘glacier’ in Icelandic, has been removed.





The Importance of Glaciers in Iceland

Around 11% of Iceland is covered with glaciers, and they perform an important function in the country and worldwide. 


First of all, they help to hold back the pace of climate change. When the glaciers melt, they cause sea levels to rise, altering the planet’s ecosystem and threatening corals, fish and local wildlife.


Glaciers in Iceland often induce
jökulhlaups or glacial outburst floods that can threaten the population. They are a vital part of deglaciation, and they modify the landscape on land and near-shore continental shelves.


The
glaciers are also the greatest water storage in Iceland used for electrical production, and they correspond to the precipitation of 20 years. For this reason, they have been, and still are, researched and monitored thoroughly.





Photo Credit: Flickr. Julien Ice.

Iceland's largest glaciers are located in the South and the central Highlands since these are the regions with much higher precipitation.





How Climate Change is Affecting the Glaciers

When Iceland was being created, glaciers used to be small. They grew fast during the latter part of the Middle Ages and the 19th century. After this period, they started retreating and are continuing to decrease in size.


It is not a secret that glaciers are melting very fast due to global warming. According to some researchers, deglaciation in Iceland happens at a rate of about 40 square kilometres annually, meaning that the island can be entirely glacier-free within 200 years.


This is the case of Ok Glacier. However, Ok is not the first one in the world to “die”. There are smaller glacial masses that have also disappeared. Still, if glaciers the size of Ok are already in extinction, it is just a matter of time when larger ones will follow.

Image Credit: AFP/Nasa

However, despite losing its glacier-status, Ok still produces enough water to create an authentic geothermal bathing experience at Krauma Spa.





What Can You Expect at Krauma Nature Baths?

Krauma Nature Baths are situated in an excellent location in West Iceland, just between Reykjavík and the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. It is often considered a more affordable and quieter option to the famous Blue Lagoon Spa.

The hot water at Krauma comes from Deildartunguhver, Europe’s most powerful hot spring. It is mixed with the cold water that originated in the Ok Glacier, achieving the ideal bathing temperature.


Krauma offers a total of six baths (five warm and one cold) of different sizes and temperatures where guests are welcome to relax and sunbathe.

The spa also features two saunas with outdoor showers and a relaxation room with a fireplace and soothing music that creates the perfect atmosphere.


Krauma Spa also has a restaurant that can seat up to 70 people inside and 60 people in the terrace. Here, you can enjoy a meal after your bath to make your visit even more worthwhile.




What Other Glaciers Can You Find in Iceland?

Besides the Ok Glacier in the West of Iceland, there are other famous glaciers that you can find all around the country.


Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Iceland and Europe. It is located in the southeast corner of the country, and it covers approximately 8% of the island. Vatnajökull has several outlet glaciers flowing from the ice cap, and it was used as a shooting location for the HBO series of Game of Thrones.

Second in size is Langjökull, which means “Long Glacier”. It is situated in western Iceland, very close to Ok Glacier. It is easily accessible from Geysir, one of the stops in the Golden Circle of Iceland, and is known for its snowmobiling tours and a man-made ice cave tunnels.


Other famous glaciers include Mýrdalsjökull and Eyjafjallajökull, both located in the South of Iceland. The former is home to the
only ice cave accessible year-round.


The latter became famous when a volcano underneath it erupted in 2010, causing enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe.


Another glacier that is worth a mention is Snæfellsjökull, which served as an inspiration for Jules Verne’s science fiction novel
Journey to the Centre of the Earth.

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