Jostedalsbreen
Jostedalsbreen is the largest glacier on continental Europe, located in Vestland county, Norway. The icefield covers several hundred square kilometers and feeds many outlet glaciers (e.g., Briksdalsbreen). While the icefield contains significant ice volume compared with surrounding mountains, it has been retreating and thinning in recent decades.
Outlet glaciers respond faster to climate variability: many of Jostedalsbreen’s arms have retreated substantially since the mid-20th century. Studies and national glacier inventories document ongoing mass loss linked to warming summers and changing precipitation patterns, with implications for hydrology and landscape change.