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   PID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   TID: hpt/lnx 1.9.0-cur 2019-01-08   
   August 9, 2022 - Summer in Iceland   
      
      Iceland and Blooms   
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      On August 5, 2022, the clouds layer that frequently covers Iceland   
      parted, allowing the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer   
      (MODIS) on board NASA’s Aqua satellite to acquire a gorgeous true-color   
      image of a sunny Icelandic summer day.   
      
      True to its name, Iceland’s winters are long and snow-laden. However,   
      the island’s location and relatively gentle maritime climate, summers   
      are warm enough to melt all except about ten percent of the country’s   
      winter coat of white. This ten percent of the country remains covered   
      with year-round glaciers and ice caps.   
      
      The largest ice cap Vatnajökull, is located near the southeast coast   
      and is truly spectacular. It stretches over an area of 3,127 square   
      miles (8,100 square km), which is slightly larger than the size of the   
      U.S. states of Delaware and Rhode Island combined. About 30 outlet   
      glaciers flow from Vatnajökull’s ice cap. One of these long glaciers is   
      Breidamerkurjokull, which ends in Jokulsarlon glacial lagoon. This   
      lagoon can be seen off the southeast section of Vatnajökull.   
      
      Two smaller ice caps Langjökull and Hofsjökull can be seen in the   
      central highlands. Snow and glaciers also sit in the highlands of   
      northwest Iceland. The cold currents flowing off the shores tend to   
      keep the northwestern section of the country colder than the rest of   
      the island.   
      
      A gray area in the southwest section of Vatnajökull is atypical and   
      appears to be caused by recently-deposited dust and sand. In July 2022,   
      the white cap was suddenly stained with gray and brown. How the color   
      got there is not quite what you would expect on a damp, icy island.   
      
      Ash from volcanic eruptions has darkened Vatnajökull periodically in   
      the past. But in July 2022, the volcanoes of Iceland were all quiet.   
      Instead, windstorms likely lofted sand and mineral dust from the ground   
      onto the ice cap. Scientists have estimated that about 4.5 million tons   
      of dust comes to rest atop Iceland’s glaciers each year.   
      
      Iceland’s climate is not hot or dry, but it can still be a dusty place.   
      On average, the country sees 135 “dust days,” in which at least one   
      weather station on the island detects dust. Much of it comes from   
      heavily eroded areas at the fronts of glaciers, but also from sandy   
      deserts. Together these dusty surfaces cover nearly a quarter of the   
      country.   
      
      The abundant dust and frequent strong winds result in several   
      significant dust storms each year. Some of the particles are lofted all   
      the way to Greenland and its ice sheet. Much of it stays local to   
      Iceland. Thin layers of dust can reduce the amount of light that the   
      ice cap reflects back to space—leading to a cascade of effects,   
      including melting. In contrast, thicker layers of ash can actually   
      insulate the ice from melting.   
      
      Image Facts   
      Satellite:  Terra   
      Date Acquired: 8/5/2022   
      Resolutions:  1km (157.7 KB),  500m (459.4 KB),  250m (1.1 MB)   
      Bands Used: 1,4,3   
      Image Credit: MODIS Land Rapid Response Team, NASA GSFC   
      
      
      
   https://modis.gsfc.nasa.gov/gallery/individual.php?db_date=2022-08-09   
       
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