Debeli Namet is a small

glacier A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...

below Mount Šljeme () in the

Durmitor Durmitor ( Montenegrin: Дурмитор, or ) is a massif located in northwestern Montenegro. It is part of the Dinaric Alps. Its highest peak, Bobotov Kuk, reaches a height of . The massif is limited by the Tara River Canyon on the north, th ...

massif,

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

Geography

This glacier exists well below the true snowline and is sustained by avalanching snow. Results of recent investigations on the Debeli Namet glacier have been published by a British scientist (Hughes 2007). The Debeli Namet glacier is not quite the southernmost glacier in Europe, as this status currently goes to the

Snezhnika Snezhnika ( 'the snow patch') is a glacieret in the Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria, a remnant of the former Vihren Glacier.Grunewald, p. 129. The glacieret lies at an elevation between and in the deep Golemiya Kazan cirque at the steep northern ...

glacier (latitude of 41°46′09″ N) followed by

Banski Suhodol Glacier The Banski Suhodol Glacier (, ''Lednika v Banski Suhodol'') is a glacieret in the Pirin Mountains of Bulgaria. It lies below the Kutelo peak (2908 m.) in the upper Banski Suhodol Valley (). Geography The glacier is on the northern slope of t ...

also in

Pirin The Pirin Mountains ( ) are a mountain range in southwestern Bulgaria, with the highest peak, Vihren, at an altitude of . The range extends about from the north-west to the south-east and is about wide, spanning a territory of . To the north ...

mountain in

Bulgaria Bulgaria, officially the Republic of Bulgaria, is a country in Southeast Europe. It is situated on the eastern portion of the Balkans directly south of the Danube river and west of the Black Sea. Bulgaria is bordered by Greece and Turkey t ...

and the

Calderone Glacier The Calderone glacier () is a glacier located in the Apennine Mountains in Abruzzo, Italy. Found in the Gran Sasso d'Italia mountain group, it lies just beneath the Corno Grande, the highest peak in the Apennines. With the disappearance of the ...

in Italy.

Geography and Glaciology

Debeli Namet is a small

situated in a northeast-facing cirque beneath Mount Šljeme (2,455 meters) within the Durmitor massif of

Montenegro , image_flag = Flag of Montenegro.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Montenegro.svg , coa_size = 80 , national_motto = , national_anthem = () , image_map = Europe-Mont ...

. Positioned between approximately 2,030 and 2,170 meters above sea level, it lies significantly below the regional climatic snowline, which is estimated at around 2,700 meters in the western

Balkans The Balkans ( , ), corresponding partially with the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throug ...

. The glacier's persistence is attributed to favorable microclimatic conditions, including substantial snow accumulation from avalanches and wind-drifted snow, as well as topographic shading within the cirque. These factors enable Debeli Namet to maintain its mass despite being at a relatively low altitude for a glacier at this latitude. Notably, Debeli Namet is one of the southernmost glaciers in

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

, surpassed only by glaciers such as

and the

Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...

. Glaciological studies have monitored Debeli Namet's behavior over recent decades. Between 1954 and 2010, the glacier's area fluctuated between approximately 0.022 and 0.037 square kilometers. Despite regional temperature increases, the glacier has exhibited a relatively stable mass balance, with variations in size primarily influenced by annual snowfall and summer temperatures. Research indicates that the glacier's resilience is due to its specific topographic and climatic setting, which buffers it against short-term climatic fluctuations.https://ouci.dntb.gov.ua/en/works/9ZK3ABa7/

References

{{Montenegro-geo-stub Glaciers of Montenegro