Jökulsá (Breiðamerkursandur)
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Jökulsá (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈjœːkʏlsˌauː auː ˈpreiːðaˌmɛr̥kʏrˌsantɪ]) is a river in Southeast Iceland in Austur-Skaftafellssýsla (municipality) in the middle of Breiðamerkursandur, a glacial outwash plain.
It connects the Jökulsárlón glacier lake with the sea, the Atlantic Ocean. The river is very short, at the moment about 500 m. It was still 1,500 m long in 1989, but its length was 1,000 m around the year 1900, when it discharged directly from the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier; the lake did not start to form until 1935–40. The lake grew very fast from 1950 onwards, and changed the course of the river.[1] The medium discharge today is 250–300 m³/s. From time to time, icebergs from the lake enter the river.[1]
Erosion could with time break down the spits and connect the glacier lake directly with the sea, forming a fjord. The government fights the erosion by stabilising the shoreline of the sea and also of the river, not least in order to save the road.
Jökulsárlón Bridge
[edit]The Hringvegur (national ring road, route 1) crosses the river on a bridge. The rapid erosion by the sea is threatening the road. If the road were destroyed, East Iceland would be cut off from Reykjavík except by ferry or by a much longer northern route.
The bridge is built from concrete and is around 90 m long.[2] It dates from 1967. Before that, the river crossing was very dangerous. Many people preferred to cross the glacier tongue instead. There was a boat ferry from 1932.[1]
References
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64°02′33″N 16°10′45″W / 64.0424°N 16.1792°W
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