svalbard snow free glaciers – From a Glaciers Perspective

**Kvitkapa in Landsat images from 2014 and 2025 indicating the fragmentation from 3 to 8 different glacier parts.**

In 2022, 2023 and 2024 a number of ice caps and glaciers across Svalbard lost all snow cover, ie. Edgeøya 2022. The result by 2024 was that all firn cover had been lost as well on many of the ice caps of Edgeoya, such as on Digerfonna. This largely removes the ability of meltwater to refreeze. In 2025 we again see this playing out on the ice caps of Edgeøya. This all too familiar story indicates these glaciers lack a consistent accumulation zone that is essential for their survival

**Map of Kvitkapa from TopoSvalbard indicating one interconnected ice cap in 2000.**

Kvitkapa is an ice cap on a peninsula on the south coast of Edgeøya Island. In a map of this region from TopoSvalbard this is a single interconnected system of glaciers. By 2014 Landsat imagery indicates the ice cap has separated into three sections. By 2025 the ice cap has fragmented into eight different parts.

On the next peninsula to the east Kvalpyntfonna has also lost all snow cover again 2025.

**Kvalpyntfonna in Landsat image from 2025 having lost all its snow cover** **and has no residual firn from previous winters either.**

Further north and east on Edgeøya the Stonebreen ice cap has also losts its snow cover and firn cover driving thinning and retreat. The consistes loss of snow cover and resultant loss of firn cover, indicates that most ice caps Edgeøya cannot be sustained.

Stonebreen in false color Sentinel image illustrating retreat from 2020-2025. The lack of retained snow cover and residual firn will lead to continued rapid thinning and retreat.

Most Svalbard glaciers in this Landsat image from 8-8-2024 are snow free. This view is centered on 78 N and 19 E spanning parts of Barentsoya, Edgeøya and Spitsbergen. On Langjokulen (La), Kvitisen (Kv), Bergfonna (Be), Blaisen (Bl) and Storskavlen (St) on Edgeøya snow cover is gone. Bjarmanbreen (Bj), Passfonna (Pa), Hellefonna (He), Sveigbreen (Sv), Nordmannsfonna (No), Isrosa (Is), Kamfonna (Ka), Breitfonna (Br), Rugaasfonna (Ru), Hayesbreen (Hy), Heuglinbreen (Hu) on Spitsbergen all snowcover is lost.There is a small amount of snowcover left in the upper reaches of a few glaciers including Freemanbreen (Fr), Gruvfonna (Gr), Siakbreen (Si), Von Postybreen (VP) and Fimbulisen (Fi).

All the glaciers labelled in the Nathorst Land and Nordenskjold Land region of Svalbard are snow free on 8-11-2024 in this Landsat image. Er=Erdmannbreen, Fr=Fridtjovbreen, Gr=Gronfjorden, Ta=Taviebreen, Ma=Marstranderbreen, Gl=Gleditschfonna in Nordenskjold. HO=Hoegh Omdalbreen, Sn=Snokubreen, Fy=Frysjabreen, In=Instebreen, Ri=Richterbreen, Ri=Ringerbreen, La=Langlibreen, Lo=Loyndebreen, Lu=Lundbreen, Sy=Sysselmannbreen in Nathorst Land.

Warm temperatures across Svalbard in July and early August has resulted in many glaciers losing all of their snowcover. The result will be enhanced and significant thinning of these glaciers. This follows on 2022 which was the warmest summer on record in Svalbard and led to many snow free glaciers (Pelto, 2022). This record was exceeded in summer 2023 (Copernicus Climate Change Service, 2024). Here we look at Landsat images and Sentinel images across several islands from late July and early August illustrating the widespread nature of the extensive glacier snow cover loss.

For ice caps such as Glitnefonna, Langjokulen (La), Kvitisen (Kv), Bergfonna (Be), Blaisen (Bl) and Storskavlen (St), because of their low top elevation and relatively flat slopes their ability to survive is dependent on much of meltwater generated on the higher plateau areas being refreezing within the firn instead of escaping the glacier (Noel et al 2020). In 2020 the snowcover was lost and the firn thickness diminished. In August 2022 the snowcover again was lost and there was little evident firn that could lead to refreezing of meltwater. In August 2024 snowcover loss has again occurred.

For the glaciers of Spitsbergen to maintain .equilibrium requires 50% of the glacier needs to be snowcovered at the end of summer. By early August with a month left of summer melt, the area is below 10% on every glacier noted above. How much more melt will occur. The net result will be extensive mass loss once again (NASA EO, 2024).