Glacier

Then and Now

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Glaciers all over the world are melting. Some will even be gone in a decade or two. In some part of the world it will be far more critical than here in Norway. Across the globe glaciers are the source of much needed freshwater supplies, such as for example in the Himalayas and on the Indian subcontinent where meltwater runs into rivers.

The two images below are from Nigardsbreen. The first image is taken in June 2013. This year, six years later, I went back to Nigardsbreen to see what had happened to the glacier. I was stunned to see how much it had shrunk. I may not have found the exact camera location, but it is quite close. (The focal length of the first image is 28mm, and for the second image the focal length is 35mm.)

Nigardsbreen 2013 (1/320s @ f/11, 28mm equivalent, ISO 50)

Nigardsbreen 2019 (1/125s @ f/11, 35mm equivalent, ISO50)

Nigardsbreen revisited

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Here is another shot from Nigardsbreen I tok this summer. I visited the area almost 15 years ago, and what struck me this time is that the glacier has retreated quite a lot from last time I was there. The area it has retreated from so far is relatively flat, but once we get to the steep part of the valley things will happen very quickly. Perhaps five to ten years from now you will have to climb the up the valley to get to the foot of the glacier.