Okjökull, former glacier in Iceland
Okjökull is a former glacier that sat atop a shield volcano in western Iceland and has progressively melted away over recent decades. Today the site consists of bare volcanic rock and a small lake where ice once flowed, marking the spot where a once-substantial frozen mass has vanished.
In the early 1900s, Okjökull covered about 15 square kilometers of mountainside, but steady shrinking occurred throughout the 20th century with accelerated loss from the mid-1990s onward. In 2014 it was declared a dead glacier, and in 2019 it officially lost its glacier status.
The name Okjökull comes from the Icelandic word 'jökull' meaning glacier, combined with Ok, the name of the volcano beneath it. The bare landscape now stands as a visible reminder of how deeply glaciers were woven into Iceland's natural identity and storytelling.
The site can be visited year-round, though summer offers milder weather and easier walking conditions. The memorial plaque sits at roughly 1,114 meters elevation on exposed volcanic terrain, so sturdy footwear and weather-appropriate clothing are recommended as wind and conditions can be harsh.
A memorial plaque bearing words from novelist Andri Snær Magnason was placed at the site in August 2019 to mark the glacier's disappearance. The plaque also records atmospheric CO2 levels at 415 parts per million, a record measurement at the time, and warns that other Icelandic glaciers are expected to vanish within the next 200 years.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
