Iceland- the South and Southeast

Brunahraun is lava from the northern Laki crater row that flew down to the coast following the the valley of Hverfisfljót river. The larger lava field Eldhraun www.ipernity.com/doc/523247/44215764 was created by flows from the southern crater row down Skaftá river valley. In the backgound are the cliffs of the former coastline. The lava itself is very difficult to cross because of the many cracks and sharp edges and anyway you shouldn't because the vegetation is easily damaged and takes decades to grow back. The lava is colonized by Racomitrium moss and wild thyme.

Pastures along the ring road in the south of Iceland. The mountain in the background is Lómagnúpur, Iceland's highest (former) sea cliff. HFF everybody!

Ring road through Skeiðarársandur, the largest outwash plain in Iceland. Deutsch: de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skei%C3%B0ar%C3%A1rsandur

Remains of the bridge over Skeiðarársandur, destroyed in the 1996 jökulhlaup after the Gjálp (Grimsvötn) eruption. The peak flow was 45.000 m3/s, sweeping away even the strongest construction. The bent steel supports were placed by the ring road as a monument to the destructive forces of nature. earthice.hi.is/gjalp_eruption_vatnajokull_309_1310_1996

Rainbow over Skaftafellsjökull and Svinafellsjökull, two outlet glaciers from Vatnajökull. The dirt road leads to the construction site for a new bridge over Skeiðará (see inset photo) Regenbogen über Skaftafellsjökull und Svinafellsjökull, zwei Gletscherzungen des Vatnajökull. Die Schotterstrasse führt zur Baustelle für eine neue Brücke über den Fluss Skeiðará (s.PiP). Stitched from 2 photos EXIF: 1/125 • f/13.0 • 24.0 mm • ISO 250/ Canon EOS 6D/ EF24-105mm f/4L IS USM

One of the falls of Stórilækur stream in Skaftafell. Svartifoss further upstream is the famous one.

Skaftafellsjökull is a ca.10km long outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. From Skaftafell visitor centre the glacier lagoon can be reached via an easy 5km round trip. Not too long ago signs like the one in the 2nd note weren't needed, common sense was enough. Sadly not any longer...

The glacial lagoon of Skaftafellsjökull with Svinafellsjökull in the background, both are outlet glaciers of Vatnajökull. www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/areas/skaftafell/skaftafellsjokull-s1

Öræfajökull is part of Vatnajökull and a subglacial volcano. Hvannadalshnúkur (2110m), Icelands highest peak, is on its caldera rim. Öræfajökull has recently had intrusions from depth (20-30km) and a few days ago was found to have developed a hydrothermal cauldron and sulphur smells from one of its outlet glaciers (Kviárjökull, see note). This has led to a state of uncertainty being declared. An uncomfortable fact: "A flood from Öræfajökull could reach a human area in a shorter period than it takes to clear the area. Civil protection has prioritized the creation of a new evacuation plan. About two thousand people go around the area every day during the winter season. That number multiplies in the summer." Scientists think it will take quite a while (Eyafjallajökull took 14 years) until the volcano will erupt but it has started gearing up towards an eruption. If it erupts it can get really nasty with enormous jökulhlaups and pyroclastic flows, as the historic eruptions show. theconversation.com/is-icelands-tallest-volcano-awakening-87132 www.vedur.is/gogn/vefgogn/jokulhlaup/haettumat/oraefajokull_markarfljotsaurar/bok_en/chapter_I.pdf Öræfajökull ist Teil des Vatnajökull und bezeichnet auch den subglazialen Vulkan darunter. Islands höchster Berg, Hvannadalshnúkur (2110m), ist am Rand der Caldera. Öræfajökull zeigt seit dem Sommer Zeichen der Unruhe, Magma ist aus 20-30 km Tiefe aufgestiegen und am Freitag wurden eine große Vertiefung im Eis und Schwefelgestank an einem Auslassgletscher (Kviárjökull, siehe PiP) entdeckt. Deshalb wurde Alarmstufe gelb (Status der Ungewissheit) ausgerufen. Eine ungemütliche Tatsache: "Ein Gletscherlauf vom Öræfajökull kann bewohnte Gebiete schneller erreichen als diese evakuiert werden können. Der Katastrophenschutz priorisiert deshalb das Aufstellen eines neuen Evakuierungsplans. Im Winter sind täglich etwa 2000 Personen in dem Gebiet, im Sommer sehr viel mehr." Wissenschaftler gehen davon aus, dass es Jahre dauern kann, bis der Vulkan tatsächlich ausbricht (Eyafjallajökull brauchte 14 Jahre). Wenn, dann kann es eventuell sehr häßlich werden mit pyroklastischen Strömen, großen Gletscherläufen und sehr viel Asche, wie die dokumentierten früheren Eruptionen zeigen. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96r%C3%A6faj%C3%B6kull Stitched from 2 photos EXIF: 1/160 • f/9.0 • 109.0 mm • ISO 100/ Canon EOS 6D/ EF70-200mm f/4L USM Kviárjökull

Svínafellsjökull is an outlet glacier of Öræfajökull/ Vatnajökull. The mountainside on the right is unstable as can be seen by the landslide that covers part of the glacier. icelandmag.is/article/civil-protection-agency-warns-catastrophic-mountain-collapse-a-threat-svinafellsjokull

Svinafellsjökull carries a lot of ash from Öræfajökull volcano.

Svinafellsjökull is one of the glacier tongues coming down from Öræfajökull, a subglacial volcano in the southern part of Vatnajökull. Svínafellsjökull has been retreating considerably in recent times.

Svínafellsjökull is an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull www.vatnajokulsthjodgardur.is/en/melting-glaciers/vatnajokullglacier

HFF folks!

Hrútárjökull is an outlet glacier of Öræfajökull which is at the SW edge of Vatnajökull. Öræfajökull denotes both the glacier and the stratovolcano that lies underneath it. Iceland's highest mountain (Hvannadalshnjúkur, 2110m) is situated on the crater rim of Öræfajökull. Fjallsárlón is a glacial lagoon just west of better known Jökulsárlón. It is fed by yet another outlet glacier of Öræfajökull/ Vatnajökull, Fjallsjökull. de.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C3%96r%C3%A6faj%C3%B6kull

Fjallsjökull like other glaciers has receded, creating a glacier lagoon with icebergs calving into it. On the right is Breiðamerkurjökull, both glaciers are part of Vatnajökull.

Fjallsárlón glacier lagoon with icebergs swimming in it.

Fjallsárlón is a glacial lagoon at the end of Fjallsjökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull Stitched from 2 photos EXIF: Leica Q2, 28mm, F/11, 1/200, ISO 100