Kebnekaise's southern peak continues to melt

At the beginning of September, researchers at the Stockholm University Tarfala Research Station in northern Sweden carry out the annual measurement of Sweden´s highest mountain Kebnekaise, which has two peaks. This year´s measurement shows that Kebnekaise's southern peak was measured at 2088.4 metres above sea level. This corresponds to a decrease of 1.5 metres compared to the same time last year.

The difference to Kebnekaise's northern peak, which is ice-free and has a fixed height (2096.8 metres now amounts to 8.4 metres, which further confirms that the northern peak is Sweden's highest point since 2019. The southern peak is covered by a small icefield whose height varies with snow accumulation during the winter and melting during the summer. The annual measurements are conducted at the end of summer in order to capture the lowest elevation of the southern peak before the snow begins to fall again. In 2024, which was a record-warm year, Kebnekaise's southern peak melted by 3.1 metres.

“In 2024, not only did the southern peak decrease significantly, but so did also did also Storglaciären (the Large Glacier), which is located right next to Tarfala Research Station. Never in the past 80 years has the mass loss on Storglaciären been as great as in 2024. But this year, during the current summer season, we saw no signs that Storglaciären was heading for another record low, and therefore we hoped that the melt on the southern peak would also be lower than in 2024," says Nina Kirchner, professor of glaciology and director of Tarfala Research Station.

Another year in with negative glacier’s balance

The mass balance* for Sweden's reference glaciers, which includes Storglaciären in Tarfala, is also measured at the end of the summer, Nina Kirchner continues:

“The mass balance of a glacier can be compared to a financial statement. And while we expect the mass balance for Storglaciären to show smaller losses than in 2024, it will still be another year in which the glacier’s balance is negative.”

The measurement of Kebnekaise southern peak was carried out on September 10, 2025. The altitude is determined by so-called differential GPS measurement. The mass balance of Storglaciären – continuously measured for 80 years – is the longest detailed mass balance series in the world. 

Data for Kebnekaise's southern peak and the mass balance of Storglaciären are freely available at:
https://bolin.su.se/data/tarfala-sydtoppen-elevation-4
https://bolin.su.se/data/tarfala-storglaciaren-surface-mass-balance-1

80 years with Tarfala Research Station 

Tarfala Research Station celebrates 80 years in 2025. Since 1945, researchers have also measured the mass balance of Storglaciären, making it the longest detailed mass balance series in the world. At the research station, research on glaciers is conducted within the framework of national and international projects. At the station, equipment is also tested for polar expeditions and teaching students in various subjects.
Read more about Tarfala Research Station

International Year of Glaciers´ Preservation 

The year 2025 has been designated by the United Nations as the International Year of Glaciers´ Preservation. 
Read article about the International Year of Glaciers´ Preservation and glacier research in Tarfala

*Mass balance calculations for a glacier can be compared to a bank account where income (here: snow that accumulates on the glacier during the winter and eventually becomes glacier ice) and losses (here: snow and glacier ice that melts during the summer) are added together to give either a positive balance (the glacier grows because income is greater than losses) or a negative balance (the glacier shrinks because income is less than losses).