Seiland is an alpine island with many peaks above 800 m, and makes up the easternmost part of Norway’s alpine coastal landscape. The two glaciers, Seilandsjøkelen and Nordmannsjøkelen, are the northernmost glaciers in Europe outside of Svalbard. Nowhere else have glaciers formed so close to sea level – and unfortunately, few places are they melting faster. Climate change is causing the glaciers to retreat at a rapid rate, and your map will probably show larger glaciers than what actually exists today. Nordmannsjøkelen is listed on the Global Glacier Casualty List as a glacier in the process of disappearing.
Blåis på Seilandsjøkelen. Foto: Randulf Valle, Seilandsjøkelen sett fra nord. Foto: Per Arne Askeland
Melkevatnans turkise farge. Foto: Ingunn Ims Vistnes, Seilandsjøkelens smeltevann renner ut i Melkevatnan. Foto: Karl-Otto Jacobsen
Seilandsjøkelen is the largest glacier on Seiland. At its southern front lies the Melkevatnan area – an extensive plateau with a characteristic undulating terrain. Meltwater from the glacier flows into the Melkevatnan lakes and the Melkelva river before eventually reaching the sea in Store Bekkarfjord. On the map you can clearly see how the lakes and the Melkelva river zigzag down to the fjord, a result of fault lines in the bedrock. The meltwater from the glacier carries fine sediments that reflect light, and this will sometimes give the water a turquoise or milky-white colour. This hue is what gave Melkelva (“the Milk river”) and Melkevatnan (“the Milk lakes”) their names.
The bedrock of Seiland consists largely of magma that cooled and crystallized tens of kilometers beneath the Earth’s surface, before later being pushed upward as the continents shifted (plate tectonics). There are few places in the world where such deep crustal rocks are exposed at the surface, making Seiland and the surrounding region well known among geologists. The best‑known mineral from the area is the “Seiland diamond,” zircon, which is found mainly outside the national park.
Seiland also contains many sedimentary rocks; rocks formed from sediments that have been subjected to high pressure and temperature. Examples include biotite and muscovite, minerals commonly referred to as mica. Traditionally, Sea Sámi clothing has been decorated with small sewn‑in pieces of mica.
Hikers will notice extensive talus fields and blocky terrain throughout Seiland, and the landscape is still actively shaped by weathering and the movement of loose material. From a Quaternary‑geological perspective, Seiland is particularly interesting because nearly all types of glacial and glaciofluvial deposits are represented here.
Hakkfjellet vest for Jøfjorden. Foto: Randulf Valle, Heastavággi. Foto: Ingunn Ims Vistnes