myIceland.net
Höfn in Hornafjörður town has risen 15 cm since 1997
Photo: Diego Cupolo, 26 February 2009.
April 12, 2014
The town Höfn in Hornafjörður in southeast Iceland has risen 15 cm since 1997 due to glacial melting in the nearby glacial Vatnajökull. The area around has risen about 0.8 to 1.4 cm per year.
When the glacier retreats, the pressure on the land decreases and the land rises.
Vatnajökull covers more than 8,000 km² and is on average 400 meters thick.