Farmers in the Álftaver region in South Iceland fear that receding glaciers have caused rivers to change course, threatening to sweep away the bridge over the river Skálm on the Mýrdalssandur sand.
Peaceful stream turned into a dangerous glacial river
The river Skálm has always been a relatively harmless small river, flowing peacefully from inland springs to the sea. Due to the receding of the glacier Mýrdalsjökull rivers carrying glacial meltwaters have changed their course, flowing further to the east than previously. Meltwater which had found its way into the river Múlakvísl, on the western edge of Mýrdalssandur, now flows into Skálm, which flows on the eastern edge of Mýrdalssandur. In the process, the river has grown many times over.
Read more: See how the ice cap of Mýrdalsjökull glacier has changed in 28 years
It sweeps with it incredible amount of land, which it then deposits on the sand further downstream, which causes the river to rise even more, a local farmer, Jóhannes Gissurarson, tells the TV station Stöð 2.
Threatens a bridge, the ring road
Local farmers are particularly worried the swelling waters will destroy the bridge across Skálm, thus cutting a gap in the ring road. Locals point out that the heavy rains in the past few days have made matters worse, and that the river is already eating away the foundation of the eastern end of the bridge.
We can only hope that the authorities respond before things get even worse. You’d think it would be easier to construct levees than a whole new bridge.
Farmers in the Álftaver region in South Iceland fear that receding glaciers have caused rivers to change course, threatening to sweep away the bridge over the river Skálm on the Mýrdalssandur sand.
Peaceful stream turned into a dangerous glacial river
The river Skálm has always been a relatively harmless small river, flowing peacefully from inland springs to the sea. Due to the receding of the glacier Mýrdalsjökull rivers carrying glacial meltwaters have changed their course, flowing further to the east than previously. Meltwater which had found its way into the river Múlakvísl, on the western edge of Mýrdalssandur, now flows into Skálm, which flows on the eastern edge of Mýrdalssandur. In the process, the river has grown many times over.
Read more: See how the ice cap of Mýrdalsjökull glacier has changed in 28 years
It sweeps with it incredible amount of land, which it then deposits on the sand further downstream, which causes the river to rise even more, a local farmer, Jóhannes Gissurarson, tells the TV station Stöð 2.
Threatens a bridge, the ring road
Local farmers are particularly worried the swelling waters will destroy the bridge across Skálm, thus cutting a gap in the ring road. Locals point out that the heavy rains in the past few days have made matters worse, and that the river is already eating away the foundation of the eastern end of the bridge.
We can only hope that the authorities respond before things get even worse. You’d think it would be easier to construct levees than a whole new bridge.
