Langfjordjøkelen
Langfjordjøkelen (70°10'N, 21°45'E) (also referred to as Langfjord East) is a maritime plateau glacier located at the border between Troms and Finnmark counties, about 60 km north-west of Alta in northern Norway. Its area is 8.4 km2, and 3.7 km2 drains eastward to Andrevann. See photos of the glacier.
The glaciological studies at Langfjordjøkelen started in 1989 and include mass balance measurements, front position changes, glacier velocity and meteorological observations.
Mass balance observations
Langfjordjøkelen has been the subject of annual mass balance measurements since 1989 with the exception of 1994 and 1995. The investigations are performed on the east-facing part. The mass balance measurements reveal a large annual mass turnover in the same order as at the maritime glaciers located much farther south in Norway.
Glacier fluctuations
Historical records, photos and maps show that Langfjordjøkelen has retreated since 1900. Aerial photos show that the glacier snout receded approximately 200 m during 1945-66 and approximately 700 m during 1966-94. Length change measurements began in 1998 and show a remarked retreat. The recent increased thinning and retreat of Langfjordjøkelen is stronger than observed for any other glacier in mainland Norway. The mass balance and length change measurements can be viewed and downloaded from NVEs glacier data portal.
Literature
The report series 'Glaciological investigations in Norway' (Glasiologiske undersøkelser i Norge)
Andreassen, L. M., H. Elvehøy, B. Kjøllmoen, and R. V. Engeset. 2016. Reanalysis of long-term series of glaciological and geodetic mass balance for 10 Norwegian glaciers, The Cryosphere, 10, 535-552, doi:10.5194/tc-10-535-2016. (pdf)
Andreassen, L.M., H. Elvehøy, B. Kjøllmoen, R. V. Engeset and N. Haakensen. 2005. Glacier mass balance and length variation in Norway. Annals of Glaciology, 42, 317-325 .
Andreassen, L.M., B. Kjøllmoen, A. Rasmussen, K. Melvold and Ø. Nordli. 2012. Langfjordjøkelen, a rapidly shrinking glacier in northern Norway. Journal of Glaciology, 58 (209), 581-593.
Giesen, R. H., L. M. Andreassen, M. R. van den Broeke and J. Oerlemans. 2014. Surface energy balance in the ablation zone of Langfjordjøkelen, an arctic, maritime glacier in northern Norway. Journal of Glaciology, 60(219), 57-70.
Kjøllmoen, B. 1999. Breundersøkelser på Langfjordjøkelen 1988. NVE Dokument 2, 24 s.
Kjøllmoen, B. Reanalysing a glacier mass balance measurement series – Langfjordjøkelen 2008-2018. NVE Rapport 48-2019, 28 s.
Kjøllmoen, B., H.C. Olsen og R. Sværd. 2000. Langfjordjøkelen i Vest-Finnmark. Glasiohydrologiske undersøkelser. NVE Dokument 3, 55 s.
Kjøllmoen, B og H.C. Olsen. 2002. Langfjordjøkelen i Vest-Finnmark. Glasiohydrologiske undersøkelser. NVE Dokument 4, 35 s.
