Svartisen

Svartisen
Engabreen, an outlet glacier of Svartisen
Location of the glacier Show map of Nordland Svartisen (Norway) Show map of Norway
Location	Nordland, Norway
Coordinates	66°38′N 14°00′E / 66.633°N 14.000°E / 66.633; 14.000
Area	369 km2 (142 sq mi)

Svartisen is a collective term for two glaciers located in Nordland county in northern Norway. It is part of Saltfjellet-Svartisen National Park, located in the Saltfjell mountain range. The glaciers are located in the municipalities of Beiarn, Meløy, Rana, and Rødøy. Svartisen consists of two separate glaciers that are separated by the 1-kilometre (0.62 mi) long Vesterdalen valley. The two glaciers are:^[1]

• Vestisen^[1] or Vestre Svartisen ("western Svartisen") has an area of 221 square kilometres (85 sq mi) which makes it the second largest glacier on the Norwegian mainland after the Jostedalsbreen glacier. (There are larger glaciers on Svalbard.)
• Østisen^[1] or Østre Svartisen ("eastern Svartisen") has an area of 148 square kilometres (57 sq mi) which makes it the country's fourth largest glacier.

There are also a number of minor glaciers in the area surrounding Svartisen, such as Glombreen in the northern part of Meløy Municipality, and Simlebreen in Beiarn Municipality. One of the outlet glaciers of Svartisen, Engabreen ends at the lowest point of any glacier on the European mainland, at 20 metres (66 ft) above sea level (in 2007). The Norwegian Water Resources and Energy Directorate has monitored the glacier mass balance of the glacier since 1970 and operates a sub-glacial laboratory beneath Engabreen.^[1]

Water from the glacier is collected and used for hydropower production via runoff into the streams and lakes and through intakes bored beneath Engabreen.