Glacier Retreat in Iceland Mapped from Space: Time Series Analysis of Geodata from 1941 to 2018

Abstract In recent decades, glaciers outside Greenland and Antarctica have shown increasingly rapid rates of mass loss retreat the ice front, which is associated with climatic oceanic warming. Due to their maritime location, Icelandic are sensitive short-term climate fluctuations over last decade. this study, historical maps (1941–1949) US Army Map Service (AMS series C762) optical satellite imagery (Landsat 1, Landsat 5, 7, 8, Sentinel-2) used study Langjökull, Hofsjökull Vatnajökull caps. By help Normalized Difference Snow Index (NDSI), glacier terminus caps from 1973 2018 Equilibrium Line Altitude (ELA) analyzed. The results compared data, especially mean summer temperatures winter precipitation. negative temperature gradient increasing altitude, bivariate histograms generated, showing glaciated area per altitude zone time, providing a prediction future development until 2050 beyond. indicate that retreating advancing period in correlation temperature, steady decrease time being clearest most significant trend. lower parts glaciers, thus, will probably disappear during next decades. This behaviour also evident by an exceptional increase ELA observed on all three leads reduction accumulation zone.