The Bräsvellbreen glacier is the southernmost part of the Austfonna, Europe's third largest ice cap, which covers the Svalbard archipelago. The 42-kilometre front of the Bräsvellbreen glacier forms a cliff of ice between 10 and 35 metres above sea level. It extends underwater to depths of between 30 and 100 metres. In summer, when the surface of the glacier is exposed to the sun, the snow and surface ice accumulated during the winter melts. The meltwater then falls in spectacular cascades. Svalbard is a place where the effects of global warming are absolutely obvious. The climate is warming faster here than anywhere else on Earth. Since 1971, temperatures have risen by 4°C, five times faster than the global average. If current trends continue, Svalbard could see a rise of 10°C by 2100. Some scientific models suggest that Svalbard's glaciers could disappear completely within 400 years as a result of climate change.