Vík í Mýrdal
Encyclopedia
The village of Vík is the southernmost village in Iceland
, located on the main ring road
around the island, around 180 km (111.8 mi) by road SSE of Reykjavík
.
Despite its small size (291 inhabitants as of January 2011) it is the largest settlement for some 70 km (43.5 mi) around and is an important staging post, thus it is indicated on road signs from a long distance away. It is an important service center for the inhabitants and visitors to the coastal strip between Skógar and the west edge of the Mýrdalssandur glacial outwash plain.
s which burrow into the shallow soils during the nesting season. Offshore lie fingers of basalt rock (stacks) remnants of a once more extensive cliffline Reynisfjall now battered by the sea. There is no landmass between here and Antarctica and the Atlantic rollers can attack with full force. Folklore tells us that they are former troll
s who tried to drag their boats out to sea only to be caught by the rising dawn. The sea around them is rather wild and stormy, so travelers will not be surprised to discover a monument to the memory of drowned seamen on the beach.
Near Vík in 1964 and in 1965 two French sounding rockets of the "Dragon" type were launched from a transportable launch pad.
Vík is the site of the fictional Hanso Foundation's Vik Institute in the TV series Lost
.
The village has been affected by volcanic ash during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
.
glacier, which itself is on top of the Katla volcano. Katla has not erupted since 1918, and this longer than typical repose period has led to speculation that an eruption may occur soon. An eruption of Katla could melt enough ice to trigger an enormous flash flood, potentially large enough to obliterate the entire town. The town's church, located high on a hill, is believed to be the only building that would survive such a flood
. Thus, the people of Vík practice periodic drills and are trained to rush to the church at the first sign of an eruption.
, Vík í Mýrdal is the wettest coastal town in Iceland, with an annual rainfall of 2275 millimetres (90 in), which is three times more than Reykjavík
and five times more than Akureyri
on the northern side of the island. Precipitation on the Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull
glaciers near the town is believed to be as high as 160 inches (4,064 mm) of rainfall equivalent, which would mean at least 160 feet (48.8 m) of snow
at those higher altitudes.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, located on the main ring road
Route 1 (Iceland)
Route 1 or the Ring Road is a main road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects all habitable parts of the country . The total length of the road is ....
around the island, around 180 km (111.8 mi) by road SSE of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
.
Despite its small size (291 inhabitants as of January 2011) it is the largest settlement for some 70 km (43.5 mi) around and is an important staging post, thus it is indicated on road signs from a long distance away. It is an important service center for the inhabitants and visitors to the coastal strip between Skógar and the west edge of the Mýrdalssandur glacial outwash plain.
Overview
In 1991, the American journal Islands Magazine counted this beach as one of the ten most beautiful beaches on Earth. Its stretch of black basalt sand is certainly impressive but this is also one of the wettest places in Iceland. The cliffs west of the beach are home to many seabirds, most notably puffinPuffin
Puffins are any of three small species of auk in the bird genus Fratercula with a brightly coloured beak during the breeding season. These are pelagic seabirds that feed primarily by diving in the water. They breed in large colonies on coastal cliffs or offshore islands, nesting in crevices among...
s which burrow into the shallow soils during the nesting season. Offshore lie fingers of basalt rock (stacks) remnants of a once more extensive cliffline Reynisfjall now battered by the sea. There is no landmass between here and Antarctica and the Atlantic rollers can attack with full force. Folklore tells us that they are former troll
Troll
A troll is a supernatural being in Norse mythology and Scandinavian folklore. In origin, the term troll was a generally negative synonym for a jötunn , a being in Norse mythology...
s who tried to drag their boats out to sea only to be caught by the rising dawn. The sea around them is rather wild and stormy, so travelers will not be surprised to discover a monument to the memory of drowned seamen on the beach.
Near Vík in 1964 and in 1965 two French sounding rockets of the "Dragon" type were launched from a transportable launch pad.
Vík is the site of the fictional Hanso Foundation's Vik Institute in the TV series Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
.
The village has been affected by volcanic ash during the 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull
The 2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull were volcanic events at Eyjafjöll in Iceland which, although relatively small for volcanic eruptions, caused enormous disruption to air travel across western and northern Europe over an initial period of six days in April 2010. Additional localised disruption...
.
Danger from Katla
Vík lies directly beneath the MýrdalsjökullMýrdalsjökull
Mýrdalsjökull mire dale glacier" or " mire valley glacier") is a glacier in the south of Iceland. It is situated to the north of Vík í Mýrdal and to the east of the smaller glacier Eyjafjallajökull. Between these two glaciers is Fimmvörðuháls pass. Its peak reaches in height and in 1980 it covered...
glacier, which itself is on top of the Katla volcano. Katla has not erupted since 1918, and this longer than typical repose period has led to speculation that an eruption may occur soon. An eruption of Katla could melt enough ice to trigger an enormous flash flood, potentially large enough to obliterate the entire town. The town's church, located high on a hill, is believed to be the only building that would survive such a flood
. Thus, the people of Vík practice periodic drills and are trained to rush to the church at the first sign of an eruption.
Climate
Like most of coastal Iceland, Vík í Mýrdal has a subpolar oceanic climate with cold but not severe winters and cool, short summers. However, because it lies on the windward side of the Gulf StreamGulf Stream
The Gulf Stream, together with its northern extension towards Europe, the North Atlantic Drift, is a powerful, warm, and swift Atlantic ocean current that originates at the tip of Florida, and follows the eastern coastlines of the United States and Newfoundland before crossing the Atlantic Ocean...
, Vík í Mýrdal is the wettest coastal town in Iceland, with an annual rainfall of 2275 millimetres (90 in), which is three times more than Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
and five times more than Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
on the northern side of the island. Precipitation on the Mýrdalsjökull and Vatnajökull
Vatnajökull
Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Iceland. It is located in the south-east of the island, covering more than 8% of the country.-Size:With an area of 8,100 km², Vatnajökull is the largest ice cap in Europe by volume and the second largest in area Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in...
glaciers near the town is believed to be as high as 160 inches (4,064 mm) of rainfall equivalent, which would mean at least 160 feet (48.8 m) of snow
Snow
Snow is a form of precipitation within the Earth's atmosphere in the form of crystalline water ice, consisting of a multitude of snowflakes that fall from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft structure, unless packed by...
at those higher altitudes.