Fláajökull

Mýrar, the district between the rivers Hornafjarðar­fljót and Kol­­gríma, flat, wet, with many low rock–hills and extensive gravel­beds. The coast is characterised by long, wide sand–bars with mudflats and lagoons. Vatna­jökull dominates the background with many glaciertongues in between high and majestic mountains. Glacial rivers, counting from the east: Hólmsá, Heina­bergs­vötn and Kolgríma, spread all over, continually changing their courses. The streams of Heina­bergs­vötn, for instance, were bridged in 1947 but the following year they changed their course and started running into Kolgríma, so the bridge has stood on dry land ever since. The glacier–tongues Fláajökull and Heina­bergsjökull stretch far down into the district. It is possible to drive to Fláajökull along Hólmsá. Heinabergs­jökull divides into two arms around the mountain Hafrafell, north of which there is another moun­tain, Snjófjall, with a peculiar glacier hollow on the south side. The valley Vatnsdalur (“Water (or lake) valley”) on the western side of Heina­bergs­jökull often collects large quantities of water dammed up by the glacier, Heina­bergs­vötn. Once in a while this water forces its way out under the ­glacier, causing big floods in the rivers. The low mountain Jökulfell (150m) in front of Fláajökull was hidden by ice at the beginning of the century, but began to come into view around 1920.