Mass Balance Factsheet for the Hellstugubreen, Scandinavia
Hellstugubreen (now written with an –an ending on official maps: Hellstugubrean) is a north-facing valley glacier situated in central Jotunheimen, the highest mountain massif in mainland Norway. Hellstugubreen has an area of 2.7 km2 (2019). Hellstugubreen is considered a continental glacier, with a smaller mass balance turnover than glaciers situated further west. Annual mass balance measurements began in 1962. The glacier has been mapped repeatedly; the most recent survey made by airborne laserscanning in 2019.
Further information and references for Hellstugubreen is given on NVE’s webpage.
For information on the status of the glacier and on data relating to annual mass balance and other measurements, visit the WGMS Fluctuations of Glaciers Browser.
FACTS:
- Political unit: NO
- WGMS ID: 300 (Local ID: 2768)
- Latitude: 61.56°N
- Longitude: 8.44°E
- Height min: 1487 m a.s.l.
- Height max: 2213 m a.s.l.
- Measurement types: MASS BALANCE, THICKNESS CHANGE & FRONT VARIATION
- Current Principal Investigator: LISS M. ANDREASSEN & Colleagues
- Current Sponsoring Agency: NORWEGIAN WATER RESOURCES AND ENERGY DIRECTORATE (NVE) – SECTION FOR GLACIERS, ICE AND SNOW (OSLO, NO)
Hellstugubreen in August 2022 (taken by Liss M. Andreassen on 05/08/2022)
Terrestrial and satellite map of Hellstugubreen (Google Maps)
Hellstugubreen Annual Mass Balance
Continuous Mass Balance (MB) measurements since 1961/62:
Additional data available: Front Variation (FV), Thickness Change (TC) and Glacier Outlines:
Selected references:
Andreassen, L. M., H. Elvehøy, B. Kjøllmoen, and R. V. Engeset, R. V. 2016. Reanalysis of long-term series of glaciological and geodetic mass balance for 10 Norwegian glaciers, The Cryosphere, 10, 535-552, doi:10.5194/tc-10-535-2016.
NVE’s report series Glasiologiske undersøkelser i Norge/Glaciological investigations in Norway. Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate. Reports are available as pdf’s at https://www.nve.no/hydrology/glaciers/glaciological-investigations-in-norway/.