The memorial, written by author Andri Snær Magnason, states that “Okjökull is the first Icelandic glacier to lose its status as a glacier. This monument is a reminder that we know what is happening and what we must do ”.
Today, ten percent of Iceland's surface is covered by about 400 large and small glaciers, according to the University of Iceland's Glaciological Institute.
Most of these risk disappearing within 200 years - which is a clear effect of global warming, says climate scientist and meteorologist Michael Tjernström at Stockholm University to TT.
- We see that the rainfall increases during the winter, but to a greater extent in the form of rain instead of snow. Glaciers' additions to winters are getting smaller, and melting is increasing as summers get warmer, he says.