Kongsvegen glacier

The Kongsvegen is a glacier, located in west Spitsbergen, Svalbard, 1,250 kilometres (780 mi) north of the Norwegian mainland.

It occupies 105 square kilometres (41 sq mi) of Spitsbergen, which is covered in glaciers for 80% of its land mass.

Kongsvegen is 20 kilometres (12 mi) long and currently retreating in length, following a surge around 1948, although it has been growing in ice mass since 1987.

This leads to increased mass flow and velocity over the summer months, usually because of the build-up of meltwater at the base, which lubricates the glacier in basal sliding.

The glacier is of a surge type, meaning that its length and characteristics can vary rapidly over time, making the ice field very unpredictable.