Meltwater streams emerging from sub-glacial ice tunnels at the terminus of the Solheimajokull Glacier, Southern Iceland
In this shot of the terminus of the Solheimajokull Glacier in Southern Iceland we see black ash in transport from the Katla Volcano, in the source area of the Myrdalsjokull Ice Cap, 8km to the north east. This volcano, under the ice cap, last erupted in 1918. Glacial meltwater, raising the steam content or gas pressure of the eruption, gave rise to a large volume of explosive tephra or airborne material, classified as ash when less than 2 mm in diameter. White snow, obscuring the dirty, brittle ice below, means ice walking should only be undertaken in the company of an experienced guide. Summer meltwater on the surface of the glacier may be channelled into a crevasse or vertical tension crack. A combination of melting and the scouring action of sand and stones in transport cuts a deep pot-hole in the surface of the fissured ice. The descending meltwater may then flow to the terminus through a tunnel, joining the other meltwater draining down the tapering front.
Size: 5861px × 3893px
Location: Solheimajokull Glacier Terminus, near Skogar, Myrdalur, Southern Iceland
Photo credit: © robert harrison / Alamy / Afripics
License: Royalty Free
Model Released: No
Keywords: -glacial, ash, black, cap, deposition, dirty, downwasting, erosion, geography, geology, glacial, glacier, grey, ice, iceland, katla, landforms, meltwaters, myrdalsjokull, scenery, snow, solheimajokull, streams, tapering, terminus, tourism, travel, tunnels, volcanic, volcano
