Articles | Volume 7, issue 2
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-1033-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/wcd-7-1033-2026
© Author(s) 2026. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Jun 2026
Research article |
| 25 Jun 2026
| 25 Jun 2026
Glacier thinning causes warmer and drier regional climate at the Jostedalsbreen ice cap in western Norway
Kristine Flacké Haualand
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Sogndal, Norway
Marie Pontoppidan
NORCE Research AS, Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, Bergen, Norway
Henning Åkesson
Department of Geosciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway
Tobias Sauter
Insitute of Geography, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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Short summary
Melting glaciers worldwide cause changes in land surface type and elevation that may impact regional climate. In a weather and climate model, we find that these changes result in warming and less precipitation, particularly less snow, over Jostedalsbreen ice cap in western Norway. Most of these impacts are related to thinning of the ice cap and the associated lowering of the surface and reduction in orographic lifting of moist air masses. The findings suggest accelerated melting of the ice cap.
Melting glaciers worldwide cause changes in land surface type and elevation that may impact...
