The sounds and songs of Iceland's melting landscape
The term 'melting landscape" --is so full of awe for me. somber
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Millions of travellers visit Iceland each year to see the country's breathtaking glacial landscapes (Credit: Getty Images)
The sounds and songs of Iceland's melting landscape
https://www.bbc.com/travel/article/20250521-the-sounds-and-songs-of-icelands-melting-landscape?utm_source=firefox-newtab-en-us
6 days ago Karen McHugh
Marcus Neudigate Konstantine Vlasis with drummer on the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier (Credit: Marcus Neudigate)Marcus Neudigate
Konstantine Vlasis never imagined that a single track on a Sigur Rós album would lead him to study the melting glaciers of Iceland. But a decade after first hearing the band's 2013 track Lækurinn ("The Stream"
, Vlasis found himself on Iceland's highest peaks, recording the sounds of trickling meltwater and cracking ice for a PhD on the sonic life of glaciers.
As climate change accelerates glacial melt worldwide, Iceland's glaciers – which cover 10% of the country – are disappearing fast. Scientists estimate they could lose half their volume by 2100. For future generations, they may survive only as small ice caps on the tallest mountains – which is why the UN has declared 2025 the year of glacier preservation.
Vlasis hopes that sound can help people understand this environmental shift in a new way.
"Sound can teach us a lot about glaciers," he explained. "You can't see glacial movement in real time, but you can hear it.".............................