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Gullfoss waterfall8/3/2023 ![]() ![]() In the early twentieth century, foreign investors and an Icelandic lawyer, poet and politician with controversial ideas wanted to dam the Hvítá river higher up. The biggest flood rate recorded is 71,000 cu ft per second. The average summer flow rate is 4,900 cu ft per second, but this can surge far higher. However, when it comes to flow volumes this waterfall can easily lay claim to second place behind Dettifoss in North Iceland. This often perplexes people because it is not so tall. Why is Gullfoss the second biggest waterfall in Iceland? Geothermal activity beneath Langjökull glacier or a volcanic eruption created massive volumes of meltwater that poured forth. The magnitude of these giant floods is such that huge chasms are torn out of solid rock. The canyon in which Gullfoss sits was formed by an enormous glacial flood known as a jökulhlaup. The bridge on Road 34 will carry you over the spot. Between Eyrarbakki and Þórlákshöfn, but closer to Eyrarbakki, the water enters the Atlantic Ocean. This is the beautiful river that flows through the town of Selfoss. At this point, the river gains a new name, Ölfusá. Close to Þrastarlundur, another river, the Sog, fuses with Hvítá. Where does the river finish up?Īfter Hvítá roars through Gullfoss, it meanders quite a bit and three rivers flow into it along the way, Tungufljót, Brúará and Stóra Laxá, adding greatly to its volume. ![]() It originates at Hvítárvatn, the glacial lake at Langjökull glacier. Gullfoss is on the tumultuous Hvítá, a glacial river. The gentle beauty of dreamy golden mist juxtapositioned with raw power are part of the unique beauty of Gullfoss. The golden-toned mist that hovers above the water much of the time gave this waterfall its name. The torrent then descends into a 105 ft deep crevice named Gullfossgjúfur. The drops of 36 ft and 69 ft are at an angle to one another, giving a dramatic pivoting staircase effect. Gullfoss – waterfall factsĪt its widest, above the falls, the flow is 800 ft wide as the river forces its way into the 70 ft high canyon. It is also very special in the bright Arctic summer light. There can be ice within the waterfall but it never freezes. ![]() For me, these falls are at their loveliest when the giant boulders they drop over are cloaked in a patina of shimmering ice, but always take care in slippery conditions. Photogenic, glorious, turbulent and mesmeric in any season of the year, Gullfoss is all of these and far more. Listening to the thunder of wild water and feeling the airborne droplets of moisture in the air, you will know you are in the presence of a great waterfall the moment you leave the car park. In clear visibility you will even get a glimpse of Langjökull glacier, its white brilliance meeting the sky high on the horizon. It won‘t show you the soft and gentle side of Iceland, this is the really wild and rugged side of Icelandic nature. Gullfoss waterfall is beyond a doubt one of the most stunning and majestic sights in Iceland. ![]()
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