The Jostedal Glacier has a total area of . The highest point is
Høgste Breakulen at above
mean sea level. Branches of the glacier reach down into the valleys, for instance
Bøyabreen in
Fjærland and
Nigardsbreen, both at above sea level. The thickest part of the glacier is . Jostedalsbreen has a length of a little more than and it is a part of the
Jostedalsbreen National Park, which was established in 1991. The glacier covers over half of the national park. The glacier is maintained by the high snowfall rates in the region, not the cold temperatures. This means the glacier has high melting rates in its
snouts. The Jostedalsbreen has around 50 glacier arms such as the
Nigardsbreen and
Tunsbergdalsbreen in
Jostedalen, the
Briksdalsbreen near
Olden, the
Bøyabreen by
Fjærland, the
Kjenndalsbreen,
Tindefjellbreen near
Loen, and
Austerdalsbreen. In 2012, the glacier arm
Briksdalsbreen lost of ice in a few months. More recent measurements now show that Briksdalsbreen retreated in 2006, and could be in danger of breaking away from the upper icefield. Ice climbing has now been terminated because of this event. == See also ==