Skaftafell & Laki (and thereabouts)

Next it was on down to Skaftafell, a national park which came highly recommended. On the way there we passed Dverghamrar, a slightly strange place with some columnar jointed volcanics

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There are actually two distinct sections in this picture, with the lava having been cooled from beneath and above respectively (and the above cooling was more rapid, probably by a river flowing over it). Honestly, you need to come here with a geologist in tow.

So, after that it was Skaftafell. In fairness, we caught it on a miserable weather day and I found out that my waterproof jacket… wasn’t… any more. So, cold, wet, miserable and with little views, I can happily say that it was the complete lowlight of Iceland for me.

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The one tiny redeeming feature was the tree life! (we hardly saw any trees to note while being in Iceland, probably the starkest difference from NZ).


The next day we visited Laki
Worth reading the article.. but some quotes

The system erupted over an eight-month period between 1783 and 1784 from the Laki fissure and the adjoining Grímsvötn volcano, pouring out an estimated 14 km3 (3.4 cu mi) of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide compounds that killed over 50% of Iceland’s livestock population, leading to a famine that killed approximately 25% of the island’s human population.

The Laki eruption and its aftermath caused a drop in global temperatures, as sulfur dioxide was spewed into the Northern Hemisphere. This caused crop failures in Europe and may have caused droughts in India. The eruption has been estimated to have killed over six million people globally, making the eruption the deadliest in historical times.

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The consequences for Iceland, known as the “Móðuharðindin” (Mist Hardships), were catastrophic. An estimated 20–25% of the population died in the famine and fluoride poisoning after the fissure eruptions ceased. Around 80% of sheep, 50% of cattle and 50% of horses died because of dental and skeletal fluorosis from the 8 million tons of hydrogen fluoride that were released.

Bad stuff in other words. Stunning scenery though. You really get an idea of the scale of the thing, as you’re driving for miles and miles through barren lava flow scenery. Ok, green, as moss has returned, but still – totally totally devastated.

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Yeah, fantastic place. We live on a violent planet at times.

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These weird rings are formed by a fungus. Nor fairies. Well, no one has spotted them anyway.

Stayed the night in… a town… and they have this monument pointing towards Britain. There’s a sister monument pointing back this way. Celebrating the links through the seafarers life.

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