Climate change can have a grave impact for life on Earth. The change are not only shown in higher temperatures but with increased hyperbole in weather conditions, as in changed rain pattern that can cause floodings and landslides in certain areas and drought in other
areas as well as failed crops, which is a threat to food safety (Icelandic Environmental Union, 2019). Climate change impacts various weather conditions, but here the ones that caused the biggest mudslide in Iceland, will be looked into.
The impact climate change has, varies, but here we will look at the factors that played a part when the biggest mudslide in Icelandic historical time fell in December 2020. In 2018, the Icelandic Meteorological Office did a report on the impact climate change has in Iceland and there they point out a few dangers, for example the melting of icebergs and permafrost. Climate change do also increase the risk of severe catastrophe connected to
stormy weather, catastrophic raining and catastrophic floods (HalldórBjörnsson er.al., 2018, p. 211).
Even though the temperature in Iceland is increasing the Icelandic Meteorological Office
does not believe that the frequency of snow floods will get lower, but in warm winters
there is an increased risk of wet snow floods and slush floods then is during colder
winters. Besides, higher temperatures can bring other kinds of avalanche. (Ilmer, D et.al.,
2016, p. 55). Scientists were concerned about the area under Strandartindur because of
the various business on the south side of the fjord, there are both a fish rendering plant
and a freezing plant, the town hall and people’s homes. The scientists pointed out that
this would be a known landslide area and that landslides sources would be in a few areas
in the mountain. It was believed that there was permafrost underneath the surface in one
of those areas (Kjartan Hreinn Njálsson, 2018).
Halldór Björnsson, Bjarni Diðrik Sigurðsson, Brynhildur Davíðsdóttir, Jón Sigurður Ólafsson, Ólafur S. Ástþórsson, Snjólaug Ólafsdóttir, . . . Icelandic Meteorological Office. (2018). Climate change and its impact in Iceland: Science committees report about climate change 2018 (is. Loftslagsbreytingar Og áhrif þeirra á Íslandi : Skýrsla Vísindanefndar Um Loftslagsbreytingar 2018). Retrieved from: https://www.vedur.is/media/loftslag/Skyrsla-loftslagsbreytingar-2018-Vefur.pdf
Illmer, D., Jón Kristinn Helgason, Tómas Jóhannesson, Eiríkur Gíslason & Sigurjón Hauksson (2016). Overview of landslide hazard and possible mitigation measures in the settlement southeast of Fjarðará River in Seyðisfjörður. The Icelandic Meteorological Office (is. Veðurstofa Íslands), Efla and Ingenieurbüro Illmer Daniel e.U., VÍ report 2016-006.
Kjartan Hreinn Njálsson. (2018, February 17th) Proclaim increased supervision on permafrost in Strandartindur (is. Boða eftirlit með sífrera í Strandartindi). Retrieved from: https://www.visir.is/g/2018180219022