Dyngjujökull station
A new weather station at high altitude on a glacier
In June 2016, a weather station was established on the upper reaches of Dyngjujökull, about 10 km north of the Grímsvötn caldera. Dyngujökull is a large outlet glacier on the northern side of Vatnajökull. The station is located 1689 meters above sea level and none of the IMO stations is at a higher altitude. It is almost certain that this will be the coldest station in Iceland.
It must be emphazised that the location is a difficult one and the measurements are not quite compatible with the ones made at the standard observing stations. The thermometers and anemometer are not at a standard height (from the ground level) and the actual height will vary according to the snow conditions at the site. This abnormal setup affects the measurements and their comparison with observations made at standard exposure elsewhere. Extended periods of missing observations are also to be expected in the future, due to the harsh conditions and servicing problems.
A seismometer has been in operation by the IMO at the site since the autumn of 2014 and the main purpose of the new station is to monitor the weather conditions at this important station in the network amongst the volcanoes of Vatnajökull (Bárðarbunga, Grímsvötn, Hamarinn and Kverkfjöll). The station is powered by a wind generator and a solar panel (during summer).
Location information is as follows: The Dyngjujökull station coordinates are 64°30.235'N and 17°14.088'W and the registered height is 1689 m a.s.l.