Heoinsdalsjokull, northern Iceland: geomorphology recording the recent complex evolution of a glacier

The objective of this work is to conduct a detailed mapping of the Heoinsdalsjokull foreland, northern Iceland (65 degrees 39'N, 18 degrees 55'W). This cirque currently shows a variety of glacial and periglacial landforms derived from a complex deglaciation. Mapping was performed combining traditional hand-drawn and digital mapping. A hand-drawn sketch was georeferenced in ArcMap 10.7.1, supported on an aerial photograph (year 2000). Its vectorization, symbolization and final design were done in the computer-aided design (CAD) software MicroStation Connect. Complementary high-resolution Digital Surface Models were obtained from historical aerial photographs and ground-view field photographs through the application of Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry. To improve the topographic expression of the geomorphological map, a photorealistic 3D view has been generated. The final map highlights the complexity of the foreland and the coexistence existence of a range of different units and landforms. The map will ease future studies on the transformation of receding glaciers.

Automated summary

The aim of this study is to map the Heoinsdalsjokull foreland in northern Iceland in detail, combining traditional hand-drawn and digital mapping techniques, utilizing Structure from Motion (SfM) photogrammetry and generating a photorealistic 3D view to present the complexity and diversity of landforms in the foreland.