JOSTICE

The objective of the JOSTICE project is to assess the present and future changes in mass balance, runoff, ice volume and local climate of Jostedalsbreen, and determine the societal impact of these changes on hydropower production, tourism, and agriculture. 

The present state of Jostedalsbreen will be determined by fieldwork using radar measurements to estimate snow and ice thicknesses, while the areal extent and surface elevation of Jostedalsbreen are determined from satellite images, drone measurements and field observations. This new data will allow us to create a map of the land topography below Jostedalsbreen. The data will be used in glacier models that show how the ice margin, ice volume and ice movement of Jostedalsbreen will change in the future depending on various climate scenarios. The models will also show how the runoff in glacial rivers may change in the future. Changes in glacier geometry and glacier surface characteristics are closely connected to the local climate. JOSTICE will use the generated knowledge of glacier changes to model how these may affect changes in local and regional temperature and precipitation patterns.