Solheimajokull glacier is an approximately 11-km-long outlet glacier, which advances from Myrdalsjokull glacier, down a one to two km wide valley. The glacier falls from a height of about 1,300 m down to 100 m and, because of the location and shape of the glacier, it is sensitive to climate change.

In the lowlands the climate is warm and humid with average temperatures above 5 °C and precipitation of 1,810 mm per year. Precipitation on Myrdalsjokull glacier, however, is much higher, or up to 7,000 mm per year, and the average temperature is much lower.