The photographs above demonstrate the power of the glacial outburst floods from Vatnajökull glacier. The photos capture the before-and-after view of river canyons of Skaftá river, near Langisjór lake in the Central Highlands, near the glacier's edge. The flood burst out from beneath the glacier on August 3, delivering 500 gigaliters (500 billion liters/132 billion gallons) of water to the ocean. The volume of the rivers delivering the outburst flood from the glacier increased more than sixfold during the flood.
This water molded the landscape along Skaftá river, carving out new and deeper canyons and transforming the lava fields along the way.
Before-and-after
Michaël Bishop posted the above photos on facebook, illustrating the transformation. The before-and-after photographs leave no doubt as to the immense power of the floods. He used one photo taken by himself before the flood, and a second photo taken by his friend Friðrik Gunnlaugsson after the flood. Bishop explains: After cropping his picture, I've transposed the changes – thanks to the unique texture of the lava field – and I draw roughly where the river has been clearing out the edges of the canyon.
I like to mention that Iceland is an ever-changing landscape, and well… this is quite a good way to illustrate these words. …
It's actually quite fun to think that the picture I took now really belong to the past and that things will never ever be the same.
I have the same feeling to a certain extent with changing glaciers, new lava fields, areas under pressure from tourism, or even colorful houses in Reykjavík surrounded by building cranes.
Photo n°2 courtesy of Friðrik Gunnlaugsson.
Glacial outburst floods – hlaup
Glacial outburst floods take place when meltwater from the glacier bursts out in a sudden flood. These floods can be caused either by the sudden melting of the ice in a volcanic eruption, or by the sudden release of meltwater which has been trapped beneath the glacial ice. Geothermal activity in volcanoes or geothermal areas located beneath the ice cap of glaciers melts the ice. The meltwater can either find its way to the nearest river, or it can collect in subglacial valleys or volcanic craters, where it's held in place by the sheer weight of the glacier ice above. When the water pressure rises sufficiently it can lift the glacier, releasing the water in a violent outburst flood. These events are called glacial outburst floods, or hlaup.
Grímsvötn geothermal area and volcano in the western part of Vatnajökull produce regular glacial outburst floods. These floods, called Skaftárhlaup take place once ever 2-3 years. The intensity of the floods depends on numerous factors, including the level of geothermal activity in Grímsvötn.
The photographs above demonstrate the power of the glacial outburst floods from Vatnajökull glacier. The photos capture the before-and-after view of river canyons of Skaftá river, near Langisjór lake in the Central Highlands, near the glacier's edge. The flood burst out from beneath the glacier on August 3, delivering 500 gigaliters (500 billion liters/132 billion gallons) of water to the ocean. The volume of the rivers delivering the outburst flood from the glacier increased more than sixfold during the flood.
This water molded the landscape along Skaftá river, carving out new and deeper canyons and transforming the lava fields along the way.
Before-and-after
Michaël Bishop posted the above photos on facebook, illustrating the transformation. The before-and-after photographs leave no doubt as to the immense power of the floods. He used one photo taken by himself before the flood, and a second photo taken by his friend Friðrik Gunnlaugsson after the flood. Bishop explains: After cropping his picture, I've transposed the changes – thanks to the unique texture of the lava field – and I draw roughly where the river has been clearing out the edges of the canyon.
I like to mention that Iceland is an ever-changing landscape, and well… this is quite a good way to illustrate these words. …
It's actually quite fun to think that the picture I took now really belong to the past and that things will never ever be the same.
I have the same feeling to a certain extent with changing glaciers, new lava fields, areas under pressure from tourism, or even colorful houses in Reykjavík surrounded by building cranes.
Photo n°2 courtesy of Friðrik Gunnlaugsson.
Glacial outburst floods – hlaup
Glacial outburst floods take place when meltwater from the glacier bursts out in a sudden flood. These floods can be caused either by the sudden melting of the ice in a volcanic eruption, or by the sudden release of meltwater which has been trapped beneath the glacial ice. Geothermal activity in volcanoes or geothermal areas located beneath the ice cap of glaciers melts the ice. The meltwater can either find its way to the nearest river, or it can collect in subglacial valleys or volcanic craters, where it's held in place by the sheer weight of the glacier ice above. When the water pressure rises sufficiently it can lift the glacier, releasing the water in a violent outburst flood. These events are called glacial outburst floods, or hlaup.
Grímsvötn geothermal area and volcano in the western part of Vatnajökull produce regular glacial outburst floods. These floods, called Skaftárhlaup take place once ever 2-3 years. The intensity of the floods depends on numerous factors, including the level of geothermal activity in Grímsvötn.
