LIVE: Follow the sinking ice cap
Skaftárjökull glacier. Photo: RAX
The ice cap covering the eastern cauldron of Skaftá has sunk by over 10 m in less than three days, as water floods out of the cauldron into the Skaftá river.
As the glacier river flood takes hold, the height (above sea level) of the ice cap falls and is measured constantly by a GPS device on top of the glacier.
You can now follow in real time (updated every five minutes) the level of subsidence of the ice cap, which gives some indication of the volumes of water flowing out of the cauldron. Follow the live readings from the Icelandic Met Office here.
On the screenshot graph below, the flood is considered to have begun at 6pm on Sunday, at which time the ‘usual’ maximum height of the ice cap is expressed as 0. As can be seen, the ice cap has descended by almost 12 m in the intervening time.
The situation at 3:05pm. Photo: Screenshot IMO
