GCAZACZ Svinafellsjokull Glacier Moraines - Skaftafell, IS (Earthcache) in Iceland created by The Snowdog

GCAZACZ ▼

A cache by The Snowdog Message this owner

Hidden : 10/18/2024

Difficulty:

Terrain:

Size: Size: other (other)

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Geocache Description:

Svinafellsjokull Glacier

This Earth Cache brings you to the bottom of the Svinafellsjokull Glacier. Here you will observe the effects that the glacier has had on the local terrain by observing features described below and answering a few questions about those features. All aspects of this Earth Cache can be observed from well-maintained hiking trails; venture into more difficult terrain at your own risk. Be aware that you are in Iceland and that the temperature can be low and the wind strong; please be prepared to face the elements.

Moraines

As glaciers advance, they carry earth and rock along with them. This debris, sometimes called glacial till, can range in size and composition from dirt and sand to gravel up to large boulders. This material can be deposited beneath, along the sides of, or at the bottom of the glacier, or can be carried downstream by water runoff from the glacier. The resulting accumulation of material is called a moraine. The word is from the French moraine which in turn originated from the Italian word morena, which means "mound of earth."

Moraines can form from a number of processes, which we will categorize as active and passive. In active processes moraines are actively formed or reworked by the direct movement of ice. In passive processes material is deposited but is not affected further by the glacier. Moraines produced by processes in both of these categories can be observed here. In particular, here we can see lateral moraines, which are ridges of debris pushed up along the sides of the glacier, and terminal moraines that result from material deposited at the end (or snout) of the glacier.

Glacier Access

Touching a glacier
Gathering the answers for this Earth Cache can be accomplished from the relative safety of the hiking trails. However, if you dare, you can venture all the way to the snout and stand on glacial ice and see the glacier up close. Note that you are not required to do so to answer the questions.

Moraine Evolution

Glaciers advance and retreat in an endless cycle. Consider the effects that an advancing glacier might have on moraines created by precious advances. If the new advance is higher, the moraines might be reprocessed into smooth-sided hills. If the height of the glacier in the most recent advance is less than previous, one might see grooves or terraces carved into the existing moraines. Note that this might be difficult to determine, as moraines are relatively "loose" formations and are readily eroded by wind and rain as well as by advancing ice. One helpful indicator is to locate such features in the moraines that are at more or less the same height on both sides of the glacier.

Svinafellsjokull Glacier

Svinafellsjokull Glacier is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe. It is a popular destination for glacier hiking and exploring ice caves. Such activities are possibly dangerous! This particular spot on the glacier is near the western extremity of the outlet.

All of the dark earth you see here are moraines; all of the material was pushed to this location by the advance and retreat of the glacier. As you can see, these moraines are much taller than the current ice sheet, indicating that in the distant past the ice was much higher as well, and pushed much further south. The ebb and flow of glaciers is of scientific interest, and examination of these moraines might tell us something of the history of this glacier. For example, deep grooves in the sides of the hills might indicate the advance of an ice flow that carved into the pre-existing moraines.

Earth Cache Questions

Please send your responses to the CO, and (as per current Earth Cache guidelines) post a photo of yourself and/or your group at the glacier.

(1) Consider the moraines on either side of the glacier. Do you see evidence that recent advances were of lower height than earlier advances? If so, please describe that evidence. As per the information above, see if your estimates are consistent with what you see on both sides of the glacier.

(2) Consider the terrain at the snout of the glacier. Are there moraines here? If so, describe them. If not, speculate as to why they are not present.

BONUS QUESTION: Why is the ice at the snout of the glacier black?

Note on Parking

The parking waypoint is the nearest parking, which is reached by an unimproved road. If you park at (or are staying at) Hotel Skaftafell, which is right off Highway 1 and has plenty of paved parking, there is a trailhead there as well.