Steindalsbreen

Glaciers in Norway might often give you a different experience than in the Alps. Despite having their lower end only a few hundred meters above sea-level, they are often hidden in the valleys which they created during the ice ages and you have to walk a couple of hours to reach the lowest glacier tongue, instead of being able to  take a cable-car to the top.

We will therefore include landscape forms shaped by the glacier, which you pass when hiking there, as well as some rocks, visible in the valley.

Steindalsbreen is situated above the Polar circle in the South of the Lyngen Alps, a 90 minutes drive from Tromsø (69°23′/19°54′). The glacier covers an area of around 4,5 km2. The largest part i situated at around 900-1100m above sea-level, but has an ice-fall towards 600m which is visible on the pictures, and ends in the valley glacier, the lowest part, with its front currently at above 500m above sea level. This glacier tongue is retreating increasingly, with ca. 20m per year (Nilsen, 2016). During the last years, a glacier lake has appeared in front of the glacier, which seems to become larger. Several moraines witness this retreat and will be physically challenge you on your way to the glacier front.

 

Virtual Glacier and Digital Learning Environment

Virtueller Gletscher und digitale Lernumgebung