Crumpled Bridge
Iceland Holiday Day Six (Skaftafell National Park, South Iceland)
Right. This might take some explaining. This was taken just down the road from Skaftafell National Park, on a roadside lay-by.
Despite how it looks, the one thing it's not is a piece of modern art.
In 1996 Grímsvötn, one of Iceland's most active volcanoes, erupted. Normally Grímsvötn's eruptions aren't big and don't get through the icecap, but in September 1996 a 4km fissure had opened between it, and another volcano. The melt water was expected to burst out at any moment.
The eruptions started on 29 September 1996, and continued until 15 October, but there was no burst. No one was quite sure when or indeed if it would burst.
It did on 5 November at 0830. At one point over 50000 cubic meters per second of water was flowing. Icebergs went out to sea. Power lines were swept away, the road bridges tore apart like they were paper.
This is part of the remains of one of those bridges, now cited in a small lay-by with an information board.
Incidentally, despite the destruction and the chaos, within hours of the water subsiding, the road gangs were out and on the case. The destroyed road was part of road 1 – Iceland's ring road – and, amazingly, it was open merely a fortnight after the event.
There's a fascinating video showing all this in the Skaftafell visitor centre, which features footage taken during and after the video, along with a more in depth explanation of what happened and why.
Crumpled Bridge
Iceland Holiday Day Six (Skaftafell National Park, South Iceland)
Right. This might take some explaining. This was taken just down the road from Skaftafell National Park, on a roadside lay-by.
Despite how it looks, the one thing it's not is a piece of modern art.
In 1996 Grímsvötn, one of Iceland's most active volcanoes, erupted. Normally Grímsvötn's eruptions aren't big and don't get through the icecap, but in September 1996 a 4km fissure had opened between it, and another volcano. The melt water was expected to burst out at any moment.
The eruptions started on 29 September 1996, and continued until 15 October, but there was no burst. No one was quite sure when or indeed if it would burst.
It did on 5 November at 0830. At one point over 50000 cubic meters per second of water was flowing. Icebergs went out to sea. Power lines were swept away, the road bridges tore apart like they were paper.
This is part of the remains of one of those bridges, now cited in a small lay-by with an information board.
Incidentally, despite the destruction and the chaos, within hours of the water subsiding, the road gangs were out and on the case. The destroyed road was part of road 1 – Iceland's ring road – and, amazingly, it was open merely a fortnight after the event.
There's a fascinating video showing all this in the Skaftafell visitor centre, which features footage taken during and after the video, along with a more in depth explanation of what happened and why.