Horntvedt Glacier

Horntvedt Glacier flows toward the northern coast of Bouvet Island, positioned immediately east of Cape Circoncision at 131 meters in elevation. The ice mass covers the upper slopes of this remote polar location, forming a white expanse against the dark rocky terrain of the island.

The glacier was first documented in 1898 by a German expedition led by Karl Chun, marking an early step in polar exploration and mapping. A Norwegian survey team arrived later in 1927 to study and record the geography more thoroughly.

The glacier is named after Captain Harald Horntvedt, who led a Norwegian expedition surveying this region in 1927. This naming reflects the island's historic ties to Scandinavian exploration and its role in mapping remote polar areas.

Access to the glacier is extremely remote and reaches here only happen during the Southern summer months when research expeditions are active. Visitors should be prepared for harsh polar conditions and rapidly changing weather patterns.

Bouvet Island sits roughly 1,600 kilometers away from the nearest continental landmass, making it one of Earth's most isolated places. The glacier's presence on this remote island draws research teams seeking to understand ice behavior in such extreme polar isolation.

Location: Bouvet Island

Elevation above the sea: 131 m

GPS coordinates: -54.41670,3.35000

Latest update: December 14, 2025 16:42