The outburst flood which is underway from the Skaftárkatlar calderas in wesetern Vatnajökull glacier is expected to reach the ring road over the Skáftársandur sands by Thursday evening.
Flood began during the weekend, takes time to break from under the ice
The ice over the caldera began to drop at midnight Saturday. The drop has accelerated in the past 48 hours, indicating the caldera is emptying rapidly. Snorri Zóphóníasson at the Icelandic Meteorological Office told The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV that outburst floods from the eastern caldera are usually 1,300 cubic metres (45,900 cubic feet) per second.
Read more: Glacial outburst flood underway in Skaftá river in South Iceland
Before the water reaches the road it first has to travel 40 kilometres (24.9 miles) beneath the glacial ice, and then 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) to Sveinstindur mountain where the Meteorological office monitors the water level of Skaftá River. After the water level begins to rise at Sveinstindur it takes 48 hours for the flood to reach the ring road.
Travellers advised to stay away from the glacier
Páll told RÚV that people should stay away from where the river emerges from the foot of the glacier. Glacial floods are accompanied by a large release of poisonous gas containing sulphuric acid. Snorri told the local news site visir.is that he does not expect bridges across Skaftá river to be washed away in this flood, but stretches of the road could become submerged as the flood finds its way to the sea.
The outburst flood which is underway from the Skaftárkatlar calderas in wesetern Vatnajökull glacier is expected to reach the ring road over the Skáftársandur sands by Thursday evening.
Flood began during the weekend, takes time to break from under the ice
The ice over the caldera began to drop at midnight Saturday. The drop has accelerated in the past 48 hours, indicating the caldera is emptying rapidly. Snorri Zóphóníasson at the Icelandic Meteorological Office told The Icelandic National Broadcasting Service RÚV that outburst floods from the eastern caldera are usually 1,300 cubic metres (45,900 cubic feet) per second.
Read more: Glacial outburst flood underway in Skaftá river in South Iceland
Before the water reaches the road it first has to travel 40 kilometres (24.9 miles) beneath the glacial ice, and then 20 kilometres (12.4 miles) to Sveinstindur mountain where the Meteorological office monitors the water level of Skaftá River. After the water level begins to rise at Sveinstindur it takes 48 hours for the flood to reach the ring road.
Travellers advised to stay away from the glacier
Páll told RÚV that people should stay away from where the river emerges from the foot of the glacier. Glacial floods are accompanied by a large release of poisonous gas containing sulphuric acid. Snorri told the local news site visir.is that he does not expect bridges across Skaftá river to be washed away in this flood, but stretches of the road could become submerged as the flood finds its way to the sea.
