Blomstrandbreen

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Blomstrandbreen
Blomstrandbreen 5.JPG
Svalbard relief location map conic.jpg
Blue pog.svg
Location
TypeGlacier
Location Haakon VII Land
Spitsbergen, Svalbard
Coordinates 79°03′58″N12°22′53″E / 79.0662°N 12.3815°E / 79.0662; 12.3815
Length18 kilometres


Blomstrandbreen is a glacier in Haakon VII Land at the western side of Spitsbergen, Svalbard. It has a length of 18 kilometres, extending from Isachsenfonna down to Kongsfjorden. The glacier is named after geologist Christian Wilhelm Blomstrand. [1] [2] To the northwest of the glacier is the mountain area of Mercantonfjellet. [3] Analyses published in 2018 show that the Blomstrandbreen glacier has retreated over 2 kilometers since 1928 and more than 3 kilometers since 1861. [4] Further retreat is likely in the coming decades. [5] [6] This glacier has become widely known due to photographers Christian Åslund [7] [8] and Neill Drake. [9]


References

  1. "Blomstrandbreen (Svalbard)". Norwegian Polar Institute. Archived from the original on 28 February 2017. Retrieved 4 March 2013.
  2. Lauritzen, Per Roger, ed. (2009). "Blomstrandbreen". Norsk Fjelleksikon (in Norwegian). Arendal: Friluftsforlaget. ISBN   978-82-91-49547-7.
  3. Lauritzen, Per Roger, ed. (2009). "Mercantonfjellet". Norsk Fjelleksikon (in Norwegian). Arendal: Friluftsforlaget. ISBN   978-82-91-49547-7.
  4. Burton, David J.; Benson, Dowdeswell J. A.; Hogan, Kelly A.; Hogan, Kelly A.; Noormets, Riko (5 January 2018). "Marginal fluctuations of a Svalbard surge-Type tidewater glacier, Blomstrandbreen, since the Little Ice Age: a record of three surges". Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research. 48 (2). doi:10.1657/AAAR0014-094.
  5. Li, Tian; Hofer, Stefan; Moholdt, Geir; Igneczi, Adam; Heidler, Konrad; Zhu, Xiao Xiang; Bamber, Jonathan (15 January 2025). "Pervasive glacier retreats across Svalbard from 1985 to 2023". Nature Communications volume. 16 (705). doi:10.1038/s41467-025-55948-1.
  6. Gayman, Emily C.; Ward, J. J. van Pelt; Maloof, Adam C.; Aas, Harold; Kohler, Jack (19 January 2022). "Historical glacier change on Svalbard predicts doubling of mass loss by 2100". Nature. 601: 374–379. doi:10.1038/s41586-021-04314-4.
  7. Brown, Rachel (13 March 2017). "Pictures show climate change's dramatic Arctic impact". www.nationalgeographic.com. Retrieved 17 July 2025.
  8. Graham, Daniel (6 November 2024). "Powerful before-and-after photos reveal "haunting" retreat of Arctic glaciers". www.discoverwildlife.com. Retrieved 26 July 2025.
  9. Thomson, Jess (14 June 2022). "Recreated photo shows 100 years of glacier retreat: 'I was shaking". www.newsweek.com. Retrieved 17 July 2025.