Jostedalsbreen

Infobox_Glacier
glacier_name = Jostedalsbreen

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caption = Briksdalsbreen is one of the more popular parts of Jostedalsbreen
type =
location = Sogn og Fjordane, NOR
coordinates = coord|61|40|N|6|59|E|type:glacier_region:NO|display=inline,title
area = convert|487|km2|sqmi|0|abbr=on
length =
thickness =
terminus =
status =

Jostedalsbreen or Jostedal Glacier, is the biggest glacier in continental Europe. It is situated in the county Sogn og Fjordane at the west coast of southern Norway. There are however larger glaciers on the Svalbard archipelago.

Jostedalsbreen lies in the municipalities of Luster, Balestrand, Jølster and Stryn. The highest peak in the area is Lodalskåpa at 2083 meters.

Jostedalsbreen has a total area of over 480 km². The highest point is Høgste Breakulen 1957 m above mean sea level. Branches of the glacier reach down into the valleys, for instance Bøyabreen in Fjærland and Nigardsbreen, both 300 m above sealevel. The thickest part of the glacier is 600 meter. Jostedalsbreen has a length of a little more than 60 km and covers almost half of the national park.

Jostedalsbreen National Park was established in 1991, covering 1,310 km².

There are three museums and also visitorscenters, the Breheimsenteret in Jostedal, Jostedalsbreen nasjonalparksenter in Oppstryn (Stryn) and Norsk bremuseum in Fjærland.

The Jostedalsbreen has many glacierarms as the Nigardsbreen and Tunsbergdalsbreen in Jostedal, the Briksdalsbreen by Olden, the Bøyabreen by Fjærland, the Kjenndalsbreen by Loen and the Austerdalsbreen.

In 2006 the glacier arm Briksdalsbreen lost 50 metres of ice in a few months. Below in the external links you can view this dramatic event. More recent measurements now show that Briksdalsbreen retreated 146 meters in 2006, and could be in danger of breaking away from the upper icefield. Ice climbing has now been terminated. This past winters heavy snowfalls on the icefield may save Briksdalsbreen. The photo to the right shows the glacier year 2003, and can be compared by clicking on the link below.

Nigardsbreen is also a glacier arm nearby Gaupne in the Jostedal. You can go on guided glacier hikes here.

ee also

*List of glaciers
*List of glaciers in Norway

External links

* [http://www.jostedalsbre.no/ Jostedalsbreen National Park Centre]
* [http://www.jostedal.com/ Jostedal Glacier National Park]
* [http://www3.dirnat.no/nasjonalparker/engelsk/ Directorate for Nature Management - National Parks] *en
* [http://envisense.org/glacsweb/photos/briks-panos/index.html A view of 6 years Briksdalsbreen]

Further reading

* Bjørn Wold, Leif Ryvarden "Jostedalsbreen, Norway's Largest Glacier", ISBN 82-7683-092-7.
* W.C. Slingsby "Norway: the Northern Playground", ISBN 1-904466-07-9.
* A. Dyer et al "Walks and Scrambles in Norway", ISBN 1-904466-25-7.