Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rock could fall in a massive landslide from a mountain in the central highlands of Iceland, according to an expert. Hikers witnessed fracturing of the mountain side this weekend.
A substantial amount of rocks has already fallen from the side of Litlihöfði mountain on Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the central highlands, according to local news site Mbl.is.
Could come down in the next few days or weeks
Árni B. Stefánsson, an experienced hiker who passed by the mountain this weekend and took pictures of it, estimates that at least 200,000 cubic meters of rock are about to come sliding down the west side of the mountain.
Judging by the photos Árni took this weekend, Jón Kristinn Helgason, a landslide expert with the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told Mbl.is that the mountain side could come crashing down in the next few days or weeks.
Dangerous to approach the mountain
Popular hiking trails like the Laugavegur trail are close to Litlihöfði but the mountain itself sees few travellers, according to Árni.
Both he and Jón Kristinn warn hikers against approaching that side of the mountain and even the top of it.
People should keep their distance, that would be wisest, Jón Kristinn says.
Landslide caused a tsunami in Öskuvatn lake in 2014
Three years ago, a massive landslide fell into Öskjuvatn lake in the central highlands, causing a tsunami wave tens of meters high.
Experts estimated around 60 million cubic meters had fallen from the slopes of Mount Askja into the lake, making the landslide the biggest since Iceland was settled by humans 1.100 years ago.
Hundreds of thousands of tonnes of rock could fall in a massive landslide from a mountain in the central highlands of Iceland, according to an expert. Hikers witnessed fracturing of the mountain side this weekend.
A substantial amount of rocks has already fallen from the side of Litlihöfði mountain on Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the central highlands, according to local news site Mbl.is.
Could come down in the next few days or weeks
Árni B. Stefánsson, an experienced hiker who passed by the mountain this weekend and took pictures of it, estimates that at least 200,000 cubic meters of rock are about to come sliding down the west side of the mountain.
Judging by the photos Árni took this weekend, Jón Kristinn Helgason, a landslide expert with the Icelandic Meteorological Office, told Mbl.is that the mountain side could come crashing down in the next few days or weeks.
Dangerous to approach the mountain
Popular hiking trails like the Laugavegur trail are close to Litlihöfði but the mountain itself sees few travellers, according to Árni.
Both he and Jón Kristinn warn hikers against approaching that side of the mountain and even the top of it.
People should keep their distance, that would be wisest, Jón Kristinn says.
Landslide caused a tsunami in Öskuvatn lake in 2014
Three years ago, a massive landslide fell into Öskjuvatn lake in the central highlands, causing a tsunami wave tens of meters high.
Experts estimated around 60 million cubic meters had fallen from the slopes of Mount Askja into the lake, making the landslide the biggest since Iceland was settled by humans 1.100 years ago.
