The third-largest glacier in Iceland and the largest glacier mass of Europe are now dissolving at rates not seen in human history.
This is due to human-caused climate changes.
All over the globe, ice is melting rapidly. Scientists believe that all the water entering the oceans is not only raising sea levels, but also changing circulation and fueling extreme weather events such as hurricanes and heatwaves.
Glaciologist Dr. M Jackson, along with her colleagues, are raising awareness to the possibility that Iceland may lose almost all of its ice within the next 100 years.
A short film was made by them. “After Ice”We use historical photos and drone footage to show the rapid changes in the landscape.
Back in 2019, Iceland held a glacier funeral after a 700-year-old sheet of ice shrunk so much that scientists declared it dead.
Iceland is now losing so much ice, that the land with less weight from glaciers is rising. Some harbors are now becoming shallower, making navigation more difficult for boats.
Scientists are also concerned about the possibility of more volcanic eruptions, as the ground becomes more unstable without glaciers.
Jackson describes this place as a “glacial graveyard”, but she does not give up hope. Jackson said that we can still prevent the planet from heating up and allow the glaciers to grow.
“We’re losing ice, and we’re gonna lose a lot more ice,”She said. “But that does not mean that ice is gone forever on the planet. Ice can grow back. But that means you and I have to act now. I want people to think about the future with ice. And that’s what I fight for.”
