VATNA GLACIERThe Vatnajökull ice cap, the Glacier of Rivers, and the Vatna Glacier are all stupendou

VATNA GLACIERThe Vatnajökull ice cap, the Glacier of Rivers, and the Vatna Glacier are all stupendous names for an astounding and breathtaking ecosystem which is located at the southeast of Iceland. Currently known as the largest and the most voluminous Icelandic glacier, it measures up to 8,400 square km (3,200 square miles) in area with an average ice thickness of 900 meters (about 3,000 feet).The Vatnajökull Ice cap is also known for its numerous volcanoes. These volcanoes lie underneath the ice caps and occasionally create lakes and feed hundreds of rivers due to their periodic melting of the surrounding ice. The largest volcano is the Grímsvötn which has periodically erupted and caused large flooding. The Grímsvötn volcano has had steady periods of eruptions every 5 to 10 years in the 20th century. Such frequent eruptions have caused the ice cap to lose one tenth of its mass.Due to its varying environment, the Vatnajökull Ice cap is home to different types of microbial communities. In February 2013, research was published on microbes that were found in its subglacial lakes beneath the ice cap. The microbes were able to adapt to the cold, dark, and nutrient-poor waters. It is still debated how these microbes are able to survive and colonize in such an environment, however it is suggested that this may be due to the microbes’ unique metabolic system. It has been theorized that similar microbes may have dwelled on Mars and the icy satellites of the outer planets.~eraPhoto Credit: Skarphedinn Thrainsson / http://photos.skarpi.is/Source:- http://bit.ly/XrZ5dL- http://bit.ly/Wmwzr1- http://bit.ly/13VgnBS- http://bit.ly/XrZg98- http://bit.ly/10LzTzB- http://bit.ly/5lXlyr -- source link
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