Scientists confirm Mendenhall Glacier is no longer in contact with Mendenhall Lake, marking a new phase in its long retreat. The shift may slow near‑term ice loss but could alter tourism and views from the visitor center.

A surge appears underway at Dyngjujökull, with GPS data showing the glacier moving at roughly 150 meters per year since early July—many times its normal speed. Experts note Dyngjujökull typically experiences multi‑year surges every 20–30 years, with the last occurring in 1998–2000.

Dirt on Exit Glacier makes it look very different then the information posters.

Vestari Hagafellsjökull, on the south side of Langjökull, has retreated about 200 meters since 2023, according to a preliminary glacier-terminus survey conducted on 20 September 2025. Since 2009 the glacier has receded roughly 973 meters through 2023, with accelerated retreat likely tied to this summer’s warmth.

As the Alsek Glacier has retreated, it has eroded a basin that is now filled by a lake.

The National Weather Service issued a flood warning Monday morning, saying that water gauges indicate the Suicide Basin had started to release into Mendenhall Lake.

The man’s travel companions lost sight of him after he fell into a stream and was swept into a vertical opening in the ice, Alaska State Troopers said.

A sudden glacial outburst flood from a marginal lake near Langjökull sent water into the Svartá and downstream into the Hvítá in Borgarfjörður, peaking above 400 cm overnight before easing to just over 300 cm. Authorities warn further river flooding is possible in coming days, with increased landslide risk in southeast Iceland.

The flood reached a record-breaking crest of 16.65 feet at about 8 a.m. Wednesday. Water continues to seep into Valley neighborhoods.

A study warns that Narsap Sermia’s rapid retreat could plunge into a deep trough, releasing ice into Nuuk fjord year-round for the next two decades.