Helheim Glacier is a glacier in the Sermersooq municipality, Eastern Greenland. This glacier's name is derived from "Helheim", a modern term for a world of the dead in Old Norse religion: Hel.

Geography

The Helheim Glacier is located on the eastern side of the Greenland ice sheet. It is one of Greenland's largest outlet glaciers. It flows roughly in an ESE direction and feeds the waters of the Helheim Fjord, a branch at the northern end of the Sermilik system, where there are a number of other glaciers calving and discharging at rapid rates such as the Fenris and the Midgard Glacier.

Retreat

Helheim Glacier accelerated from 8 km per year in 2000 to 11 km per year in 2005. Like many of Greenland's outlet glaciers, it is a common site where glacial earthquakes are monitored.