Length 3.5 km (2.2 mi) Area 3.1 km² | Status Retreating since 1910 | |
 | ||
Type Polythermal subarctic-alpine valley glacier Location Kiruna Municipality, Sweden Thickness Average: 93 m (305 ft)
Maximum: 255 m (837 ft) | ||
Storglaciären (Swedish for The Grand Glacier) is a glacier in Tarfala Valley in the Scandinavian Alps of Kiruna Municipality, Sweden. The glacier is classified as polythermal having both cold and warm bottom temperatures. It was on Storglaciären that the first glacier mass balance research program began (immediately after World War II), which continues to the present day; this is the longest continuous study of its type in the world. Storglaciären has had a cumulative negative mass balance of -17 m between 1946–2006. The program began monitoring the Rabots Glaciär in 1982, Riukojietna in 1985, and Mårmaglaciären in 1988. All three of these glaciers have had a strong negative mass balance since monitoring began.
Map of Storglaci%C3%A4ren, 981 99 Kiruna, Sweden
For the purpose of studying Storglaciären and nearby glaciers, Stockholm University operates the Tarfala research station in the Kebnekaise region of northern Sweden.