싱벨리어 국립공원(Þingvellir National Park)(3). 아이슬란드(Iceland)

싱벨리어 국립공원(Þingvellir National Park)(3). 아이슬란드(Iceland)

thingvellir.is

Hakið Visitor Center

Sprunga Opnast (A fissure opens up)

The hole in the trail

Until 2011 the gravel path in the Almannagjá fault extended all the way to the top. on March 31st 2011 a hole appeared in the middle of the gravel path in Almannagjá. After close investigation a larger and deeper fault between beneath the trail was discovered. The fault was about 10 m deep and extended 15 m under the trail toward southwest, effectively a deeper extension of the ravine. The ravine beneath the road is narrower from top to bottom and was full of large rocks and boulders.

Likely cause

The most likely cause for the hole in trail was that a large boulder in the upper layer of rubble had loosened and fallen fown further into the crevice, followed by smaller rocks and gravel. A thin crust of gravel material remained and was slowly eroded by rain and snowmelt resulting in the hole that appeared in the trail. It is possible that the rocks were loosened by earthquakes in 2000 and 2008. The effect of the earthquakes was clearly noted in the Thingvellir even though the epicenter was far away.

Later it was decided to build a wooden footbridge on top of the rift.

Ljósmyndir/Photos : Einar A.E. Saemundsen

Old routes

One of the old routes to Thingvellir followed the western shore of Thingvallavatn but land subsidence due to earthquakes in 1789 caused the route to be submerged. As a consequence, an alternative route to Thingvellir from the west was constructed through Almannagjá. Road construction commenced in 1831 and was completed in 1907

The Karastadastigur trail in 1880 before the gravel road was made

Ljósmyndir/Photo : Sigfús Eymundsson. Ljósmyndasafn, Þjóðminjasafn Íslands

The last cars drove through Almannagjá on November 1st 1967 when the ravine was finally closed to vehicles. Until that date the road through Almannagjá was the main public road through the Thingvellir area.

Ljósmyndir/Photo : Morgunblaðið /Ólafur K. Magnússon

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