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Flood in Skálm river. Photo: Almannavarnir / Björn Oddsson
Within 24 hours, there was a severe glacial outburst (Jökulhlaup) from the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, causing major flooding in the Skálm River. It is theorized that these runoffs are from underneath the glacier, similar to events seen in 2011 and 1955 at Múlakvísl. Several roads and bridges have been completely washed away, leading to road closures between Vík and Kirkjubæjarklaustur along the Ring Road. The area around Sólheimajökull has also been evacuated due to safety concerns.
Efforts have been made to begin clearing the roads for travel, but currently, access is limited to vehicles equipped to handle intense terrain. While the river levels are expected to return to safe levels over the next few days, Southern Iceland remains under a heavy rain advisory, potentially worsening the flooding. As a result, travellers are discouraged from using the road until proper clearance is given.
This phenomenon, known as a jökulhlaup, is a glacial outburst flood caused by geothermal heat melting ice beneath the glacier. Such events are common and were originally named after similar occurrences at Vatnajökull. Thankfully, there has been no evidence linking this flooding to volcanic activity from Katla. The Icelandic Meteorological Office confirms that this is a typical flooding event and that volcanic activity in the area remains unchanged.
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Photo: RÚV / Benedikt Sigurðsson
Updated: The Ring Road is planned to be reopened tonight, July 28, by dinner time. For further information about these floods or volcanic activity in Iceland, you can meet us at Lava Centre, where our on-site geologists are available to answer your questions. You can also follow updates on the Icelandic Met Office website or RÚV’s news website.
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