After the North and South Poles, Iceland has the most ice covered area. Vasnajökull is the largest glacier in Iceland. One of the most striking features of Vasnajökull is the glacier tongue, which juts out into the sea. Locals call this tongue of ice Breidamarkuriokull. Breidamarcuriokul is also an area that hides a rare sight in nature.
The area has caves the size of which a man can walk. These tunnels have walls made of glass. All these tunnels, which look like snow on the ground, start from inside the ice sheet and end near the sea. At the same time, these are different from the ice caves found in nature. Snow caves are caves formed in rock formations in a snow-covered area. At the same time, the caves in this ice layer are caves formed by water seepage. That is why they are known as glacier caves.
Blue color inside the cave
Normal snow color is white. Meanwhile, due to the presence of some algae etc., the snow is sometimes seen in pink or red color. Similarly, these glacier caves are also found in different colors. The interior of these glacier caves is bright blue in color. However, this blue color is not caused by algae, but by a phenomenon that takes place within the ice sheets themselves.
Due to extreme cold, a large amount of pressure builds up inside these ice sheets. Due to this pressure, the air inside the ice will bubble out. Because the pressure in the surrounding ice exerts a large amount of force, such bubbles are constantly popping out in glacier caves. This massive loss of air is the reason behind the crystal-like luster of glacier caves.
While these tunnels are fascinating to see, they are also dangerous. Hence there are restrictions on entry into such tunnels. The roofs of such caves are well secured in winter. Tourists are allowed here during this time. That is roughly from November to March. During summer, the roofs of most caves become weak and prone to collapse. Only rare ice caves remain stable all year round.
Shape-shifting caves
Another feature of these ice caves is that their shape changes with each step. Even if you come back to a cave you have visited before, that cave will be completely different. Its size and shape may have changed sometimes even in length. Therefore, every visit to these caves is a different experience, tourists say.
English Summary: Iceland’s Crystal Ice Caves Carve Walkways Deep Within A Glacier
