The glaciers in the Kongsfjorden area, Spitsbergen

Abstract

The advance of glacier fronts in the Kongsfjorden area, Svalbard in the second half of the last century represents the maximum extension of ice cover in the Holocene. A continuous deficit in mass-balance in this century is probably caused by low precipitation rate. In contrast to Kongsvegen, the velocity of the Kronebreen ice stream is very high, up to a maximum of 4 m a day. This fast flow does not compensate for the large calving rate, which causes a retreat of the front by more than 200 m a year.