New study reclassifies Iceland's Nautárdalsjökull glacier

A recent scientific study has cast new light on the Nautárdalsjökull glacier in Iceland's Tröllaskagi peninsula, proposing that it is an ice-cored glacier rather than a rock glacier, as had been widely assumed.

The findings, published in the scientific journal Catena, are the result of a large-scale research project involving numerous European universities and Icelandic scientists Skafti Brynjólfsson and Þorsteinn Sæmundsson. This research challenges the established classification of Nautárdalsjökull.

Rock glaciers are typically found northwest of the Bárðarbunga volcanic system and are characterized by a covering of rock debris. Ice-cored glaciers, on the other hand, are covered by glacial moraine that insulates the ice, with Hrútárjökull being a well-known example. The study indicates that Nautárdalsjökull fits the latter description.

The research team's work provides a new understanding of glacial formations in Iceland, contributing to the broader scientific knowledge of glaciology and the dynamic processes shaping the island's landscape.