| Jostedal Glacier | |
| Other Name: | Jostedalsbreen |
| Map: | Vestland#Norway |
| Location: | Vestland, Norway |
| Coordinates: | 61.7106°N 6.9242°W |
| Type: | Mountain glacier |
| Area: | 487km2 |
| Length: | 60km (40miles) |
| Thickness: | 600m (2,000feet) |
Jostedal Glacier or is the largest glacier in continental Europe. It is in Vestland county in Western Norway.[1] Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Sogndal, Sunnfjord, and Stryn. The highest peak in the area is Lodalskåpa at a height of .
In 1906, work was being done on footpaths that could accommodate tourists.[2]
The glacial water is also used in distilling Vikingfjord
The Jostedal Glacier has a total area of . The highest point is Høgste Breakulen at above mean sea level. Branches of the glacier reach down into the valleys, for instance Bøyabreen in Fjærland and Nigardsbreen, both at above sea level. The thickest part of the glacier is . Jostedalsbreen has a length of a little more than and it is a part of the 1310km2 Jostedalsbreen National Park, which was established in 1991. The glacier covers over half of the national park.[1]
The glacier is maintained by the high snowfall rates in the region, not the cold temperatures. This means the glacier has high melting rates in its snouts. The Jostedalsbreen has around 50 glacier arms such as the Nigardsbreen and Tunsbergdalsbreen in Jostedal, the Briksdalsbreen near Olden, the Bøyabreen by Fjærland, the Kjenndalsbreen, Tindefjellbreen near Loen, and Austerdalsbreen.[1] In 2012, the glacier arm Briksdalsbreen lost of ice in a few months. More recent measurements now show that Briksdalsbreen retreated in 2006, and could be in danger of breaking away from the upper icefield. Ice climbing has now been terminated because of this event.
. William Cecil Slingsby. Norway: the Northern Playground. 978-1-904466-07-9. Rockbuy Limited. 2003.
