Útdráttur:

Glacier retreat is projected to increase with future climate warming, expanding proglacial lakes and elevating the risk of mass movement-triggered glacial lake outburst floods (GLOFs). Though these events occur frequently in mountain regions worldwide, they are an emerging yet understudied hazard in Iceland. This talk investigates proglacial lake development and GLOF hazard at two sites in south Iceland: Fjallsjökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull; and Sólheimajökull, and outlet glacier of Mýrdalsjökull. It combines field-collected datasets of lake bathymetry and subglacial topography to: 1) reconstruct lake evolution over time; 2) estimate glacier and lake changes over the next century; 3) present hazard scenarios of mass movements entering the lake to trigger a GLOF; and 4) discuss potential GLOF geomorphologic and societal impacts at these popular tourist sites. Finally, it discusses how results can contribute to risk assessments and mitigation strategies at proglacial lakes in Iceland, as well as yield insight into this emerging hazard in other Arctic and subarctic regions.

Öll velkomin!