Snæfellsjökull

Snæfellsjökul

Top of Snæfellsjökul, May 2003

The Snæfellsjökul [' stnai ː ˌ fɛls jœkʏtl ˳ ] (Eng. ' snow mountain glacier ") is a 1446 m high stratovolcano on the western end of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in Iceland. The mountain was originally called Snæfell or Snjofell, to distinguish it from two other mountains with this name, the Icelandic term for glacier ( Jökull ) is appended to the name but with him. It is located on the territory of the municipality Snæfellsbær.

• 8.1 Geology
• 8.2 Fiction

• 9.1 Photos and Videos
• 9.2 The National Park
• 9.3 Scientific papers 9.3.1 Geology
• 9.3.2 Glaciology

First ascent

There were some stories from the Middle Ages to brave men who had climbed the mountain. Among them is of course the ever-present in the area Bárður Snæfellsás - this, however, is as such not very credible, the stories surrounding him are all too suspicious folk say.

Later the mountain was like many others surrounded by superstition with an aura of mystery and danger. It took the bold reconnaissance Bjarni Pálsson and Eggert Ólafsson. This kept on July 1, 1753 to the mountain, armed, and others with compass, thermometer and a vinegar bottle, in the event that the air we breathe but something was too thin in this vast sum. But it succeeded, and, as in the case of Hekla, they are considered the first ascent of the mountain.

Meanwhile, the mountain is very popular destination for mountaineers and every year go up several groups.

Height measurements

With the provisions of the height of the volcano, it has its own explanation: The mountain was for many centuries as the highest mountain in Iceland. Even in 1753 the first man to climb Eggert and Bjarni were convinced of this and their measurements showed the considerable height of 2154 m.

When they measured the mountain in 1804, again, one of the today's level with 1436 m came much closer. However, the exact height of the mountain could find only in 1910, a Danish officer who was committing himself to 1446 m.

Geology

The cap of the stratovolcano forms a glacier, a small caldera fills three small volcanic vents sit at its edge.

The volcano

The central volcano is about 700,000 years old. Overall, he is since the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago erupted about 30 to 40 times. The last known eruption took place about 1800 years ago. Most of the outbreaks were explosive. The crater with the chimneys appeared during the last eruption. The ashes of this outbreak can be found scattered all over the west of Iceland. In the north and east is more often found tertiary strata, while the southern and western slopes are covered by post-glacial lavas.

Volcanic system of Snæfellsjökul

Also in the area of the mountain have been significant outbreaks in which emanated much lava. Most of these lava fields come from the unrest period that followed the last major outbreak. Since then, there was no eruption, but the volcano is still considered to be active.

The craters in the lowlands of the mountain have more basic rock produced (basalt ), while one finds in the layers of the higher crater often acidic or intermediate rocks ( eg rhyolite ). Most of the craters are in Snæfellsjökul National Park such as Saxhóll or Öndverðarneshólar. The Bárðarlaug at Hellnar is a crater from the last interglacial period. The Lóndrangar are remains of a Palagonitberges, which originated in the sea.

The volcanic system of Snæfellsjökul is about 30 km long and ranges from Mælifell in Staðarsveit until after Öndverðarnes and perhaps even further into the sea. The central volcano itself is located in the west of the system. The well-known lava Búðahraun belongs to the system of Snæfellsjökul. The lava flowed about 5,000 to 8,000 years ago from the crater Búðaklettur.

The glacier

Suppressed Infobox glacier / Maintenance / POSKARTE: Template

Snaefellsjökull from the north, from Hellissandur (July 2009)

The Snæfellsjökul is the only ice cap of Iceland, which can be seen from Reykjavík. The glacier extends almost up to the highest point of the mountain, which is an ice-free nunatak. Farthest down the ice reaches the northwestern outlet glaciers, the Blágilsjökull; there, the glacier terminus was in 2008 at an altitude of 637 m. In 2008, by means of laser scanning ( Lidar ) was determined an area of ​​10 km ². 2002 or an area of 12.5 km ² using GPS -based field measurements was found. The surface of the ice cap was in 1910 with 22 km ², is noted as based on then- cards.

Starting from two independently create digital terrain models for the years 1999 and 2008 for this period, an average annual mass balance of -1.25 meters water equivalent determined. The mass loss of Snæfellsjökul seems therefore somewhat smaller than that of the Eyjafjallajökull, Tindfjallajökull and Torfajökull, all relatively small ice caps. It corresponds approximately to the Langjökull, but is larger than that of the Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull. The reason for the faster melting of Snæfellsjökul geologist Oddur Sigurðsson called the height difference: Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull are about 400 to 500 m higher.

The mass loss does not affect all areas of the glacier alike. Relatively stable, the areas west and east of the summit, where the ice thickness is in the range between 40 and 50 meters. In places with thin ice, it is expected that adjusts the glacier activity and there a so-called Downwasting occurs, ie, a melting of the ice on the spot due to truncated Eisnachschubs. Such a process can already be observed in the northeast of Snæfellsjökul where lying below the equilibrium line of the glacier parts have been separated from the rest of the glacier.

From the waters of the waterfall Snæfellsjökul Klukkufoss feeds.

Snæfellsjökul National Park

The volcano is situated in the eponymous Snæfellsjökul National Park and on a clear day is often seen from Reykjavík, about 120 km away lies the crow flies. The national park was founded in 2001, the Natural Resources and remains of human settlements - to protect them in the field and to get available to the general public - such as the remains of winter fishing huts at Dritvík. The main office is located in Hellissandur, an exhibition space since 2004 in Hellnar.

Many riding and hiking trails in the National Park have now been expanded and in more and more information panels are erected.

The mountain in the literature

He is considered one of the most famous mountains of the island. This he did, not least thanks to the French writer Jules Verne, who creates the entry to the underworld in the crater of Snæfellsjökul in his novel Journey to the Center of the Earth.

The Icelandic national poet Halldór Laxness has set his novel On the glacier of mysticism Icelandic landmarks and especially the glacier a monument.

In many places around the Snæfellsjökul you come across the tracks of the legendary figure Bárður Snæfellsás. The action of two other Icelandic sagas is partly set on this mountain: Eyrbyggjasaga and Viglundarsaga.

Esoteric interpretations

In addition, the volcano grades are awarded as support special force fields of Esoterikerseite ago; this is the relatively frequent lenticular clouds were repeatedly misinterpreted as UFO.