The Floating Icebergs of Jökulsárlón

Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon is on Iceland's southeast coast, and it is full of blue icebergs that bob along and make the most spectacular sight. Juergen and Mike of For 91 Days went to see and photograph the lagoon and bring us back many lovely pictures.

Jökulsárlón’s icebergs are supplied by the Breiðamerkurjökull Glacier, which looks unfathomably huge looming behind the lagoon, but is actually just a small part of the much larger Vatnajökull Glacier. Although it’s been retreating since the late 19th century, Vatnajökull still covers 8% of Iceland and is Europe’s largest glacier. The lagoon itself is Iceland’s deepest, but didn’t even exist until the 1930s.

As Breiðamerkurjökull shrinks, giant chunks of ice break off and tumble down into Jökulsárlón, where they float listlessly about the water’s surface. By a quirk of nature, the icebergs don’t melt, nor does the lagoon freeze over. A natural river connecting Jökulsárlón to the Atlantic creates a mixture of salt and fresh water, cool enough to keep the ice mostly intact, but with enough salt to prevent the water from freezing. Eventually, the icebergs do melt away, but the process can take years.

See Jökulsárlón from all angles at Iceland For 91 Days. Link  -Thanks, Juergen!


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