World's Best Scientists 2026 revealed!
Helgi Björnsson

Helgi Björnsson

Award Badge
Earth Science
Iceland
2026

D-Index & Metrics

Earth Science

D-Index
55
Citations
10457
World Ranking
2571
National Ranking
5

Research.com Recognitions

  • 2026 - Research.com Earth Science in Iceland Leader Award
  • 2025 - Research.com Earth Science in Iceland Leader Award

Overview

Helgi Björnsson is affiliated with the University of Iceland in Iceland and has contributed extensively to the field of Earth and Planetary Sciences, with a focus on atmospheric science and cryospheric studies. Their research interests span various subfields including pulmonary and respiratory medicine, management, monitoring, policy and law, as well as ecology.

The scientist's work predominantly centers on cryospheric studies and observations, climate change and permafrost, winter sports injuries and performance, arctic and antarctic ice dynamics, landslides and related hazards, polar research and ecology, and geology and paleoclimatology research. These topics reflect the breadth of their research in understanding both regional and global environmental processes.

Helgi's recent publications highlight key areas within glacier and ice dynamics. Notable papers include:

  • "Subglacial lakes and their changing role in a warming climate" (2022) published in Nature Reviews Earth & Environment
  • "Glacier Changes in Iceland From ∼1890 to 2019" (2020) published in Frontiers in Earth Science
  • "Radio-echo soundings on Icelandic temperate glaciers: history of techniques and findings" (2020) published in Annals of Glaciology
  • "Mass Balance of 14 Icelandic Glaciers, 1945-2017: Spatial Variations and Links With Climate" (2020) published in Frontiers in Earth Science
  • "Application of 'OTSU'-an image segmentation method for differentiation of snow and ice regions of glaciers and assessment of mass budget in Chandra basin, Western Himalaya using Remote Sensing and GIS techniques" (2022) published in Environmental Monitoring and Assessment

The regular collaboration with other researchers is evident in Helgi's extensive network of co-authors. Frequent collaborators include Finnur Pálsson, Vinay Kumar Gaddam, Anil V. Kulkarni, Stephen J. Livingstone, and Yan Li. These partnerships have contributed to multiple interdisciplinary studies combining glaciology, climate science, and advanced remote sensing technologies.

Helgi's work has appeared repeatedly in key journals such as Nature Reviews Earth & Environment, Frontiers in Earth Science, Annals of Glaciology, Environmental Monitoring and Assessment, and the Journal of the Indian Society of Remote Sensing. These venues underline the thematic focus of the scientist's contributions on environmental and Earth science topics.

Best Publications

  • Incidence, Presentation, and Outcomes in Patients With Drug-Induced Liver Injury in the General Population of Iceland

    Einar S. Björnsson;Ottar M. Bergmann;Helgi K. Björnsson;Runar B. Kvaran

  • Abrupt onset of the Little Ice Age triggered by volcanism and sustained by sea‐ice/ocean feedbacks

    Gifford H. Miller;Gifford H. Miller;Áslaug Geirsdóttir;Yafang Zhong;Darren J. Larsen;Darren J. Larsen

  • Segmented lateral dyke growth in a rifting event at Bárðarbunga volcanic system, Iceland

    Freysteinn Sigmundsson;Andrew Hooper;Sigrún Hreinsdóttir;Kristín S. Vogfjörd

  • Subglacial lakes and jökulhlaups in Iceland

    Helgi Björnsson

  • Ice–volcano interaction of the 1996 Gjálp subglacial eruption, Vatnajökull, Iceland

    Magnú T. Gudmundsson;Freysteinn Sigmundsson;Helgi Björnsson

  • The Mass Balance of Circum-Arctic Glaciers and Recent Climate Change

    Julian A. Dowdeswell;Jon Ove Hagen;Helgi Björnsson;Andrey F. Glazovsky

  • Hydrological characteristics of the drainage system beneath a surging glacier

    Helgi Björnsson

  • The thermal regime of sub-polar glaciers mapped by multi-frequency radio-echo sounding

    Helgi Björnsson;Yngvar Gjessing;Svein-Erik Hamran;Jon Ove Hagen

  • Jökulhlaups in Iceland: prediction, characteristics and simulation

    Helgi Björnsson

  • Surges of glaciers in Iceland

    Helgi Björnsson;Finnur Pálsson;Oddur Sigurđsson;Gwenn E. Flowers

  • Hydrology of ice caps in volcanic regions

    S. C. Lundstrom;Helgi Bjornsson

  • Glacial rebound and plate spreading: Results from the first countrywide GPS observations in Iceland

    Thóra Árnadóttir;Björn Lund;Wei Jiang;Halldor Geirsson

  • Estimating the Spatial Distribution of Precipitation in Iceland Using a Linear Model of Orographic Precipitation

    Philippe Crochet;Tómas Jóhannesson;Trausti Jónsson;Oddur Sigurðsson

  • Icelandic glaciers

    Unknown

  • Eight centuries of periodic volcanism at the center of the Iceland hotspot revealed by glacier tephrostratigraphy

    Gudrún Larsen;Magnús T. Gudmundsson;Helgi Björnsson

  • The 1996 eruption at Gjálp, Vatnajökull ice cap, Iceland: efficiency of heat transfer, ice deformation and subglacial water pressure

    Magnús T. Gudmundsson;Freysteinn Sigmundsson;Helgi Björnsson;Thórdís Högnadóttir

  • The regional distribution of mountain permafrost in Iceland

    Bernd Etzelmüller;Herman Farbrot;Águst Guðmundsson;Ole Humlum

  • Ice-volume changes, bias estimation of mass-balance measurements and changes in subglacial lakes derived by lidar mapping of the surface of Icelandic glaciers

    Tómas Jóhannesson;Helgi Björnsson;Eyjólfur Magnússon;Sverrir Guðmundsson

  • Changes in geometry and subglacial drainage of Midre Lovénbreen, Svalbard, determined from digital elevation models

    David Rippin;Ian Willis;Neil Arnold;Andrew Hodson

  • Response of Hofsjökull and southern Vatnajökull, Iceland, to climate change

    G. Aðalgeirsdóttir;T. Jóhannesson;H. Björnsson;F. Pálsson

  • Volcanoes beneath Vatnajökull, Iceland : evidence from radio echo-sounding, earthquakes and jökulhlaups

    H. Björnsson;P. Einarsson

  • Ice velocity determined using conventional and multiple-aperture InSAR

    Noel Gourmelen;S.W. Kim;Andrew Shepherd;J.W. Park;J.W. Park

Frequent Co-Authors

Finnur Pálsson
Finnur Pálsson University of Iceland
Tómas Jóhannesson
Tómas Jóhannesson Icelandic Meteorological Office
Einar Bjornsson
Einar Bjornsson University of Iceland
Etienne Berthier
Etienne Berthier Laboratoire d’Etudes en Géophysique et Océanographie Spatiales
Freysteinn Sigmundsson
Freysteinn Sigmundsson University of Iceland
Magnús T. Gudmundsson
Magnús T. Gudmundsson University of Iceland
Gwenn E. Flowers
Gwenn E. Flowers Simon Fraser University
Helmut Rott
Helmut Rott University of Innsbruck
Thóra Árnadóttir
Thóra Árnadóttir University of Iceland
Gifford H. Miller
Gifford H. Miller University of Colorado Boulder

If you think any of the details on this page are incorrect, let us know.

Report an issue

We appreciate your kind effort to assist us to improve this page, it would be helpful providing us with as much detail as possible in the text box below:

Related Online Degrees & Career Pathways

Pursuing an Earth Science degree in the USA opens diverse career opportunities, but many students consider complementing their studies with other disciplines. For instance, creative fields like photography can enhance scientific documentation skills. Those interested might explore a bachelors in photography online, which offers flexible learning options for mastering visual techniques.

Military veterans, in particular, benefit from tailored programs that support their unique needs. Veterans looking to combine artistic talents with their scientific background can find valuable resources in photography programs online for veterans. These programs help ease the transition to civilian education while enhancing career readiness.

Language skills are another important asset, expanding communication and research capabilities. Students and veterans aiming to broaden their horizons may consider a spanish degree online, which can be completed efficiently and lead to promising job prospects.

Specifically designed online spanish degree for military veterans programs provide flexible scheduling and veteran benefits, making higher education more accessible. Blending Earth Science expertise with language or photography skills creates a competitive edge in today’s interdisciplinary job market.

Best Scientists Citing Helgi Björnsson

Trending Scientists

Recently Published Articles