Öxarfjörður
Encyclopedia
Öxarfjörður is a broad fjord
in northeastern Iceland
, situated between the Tjörnes and Melrakkaslétta headlands.
with about 130 inhabitants. The Mid-Atlantic ridge
runs through the western part of the fjord before going underwater again. Öxarfjörður went deeper inland in earlier geological times but the glacial river Jökulsá deposited sands from the highlands on a triangular area of about 300 km² called Sandur
. Sandur is still trenched by the delta
of Jökulsá which is constantly changing its riverbed. There are two big lakes on Sandur, Vikingavatn and Skjálftavatn, the latter one formed by an earthquake in 1976, over the course of which some houses in the area were destroyed.
. There is a large lamb-processing factory named Fjallalamb in Kópasker.
Fishery and tourism also play an important role. People work on fishing boats that set off from Kópasker harbour, and there are two fish farms producing salmon
, halibut
and trout
.
Geothermal energy is utilized to heat the houses in the area. It is obtained from hot springs in Sandur.
, one of four Icelandic National Parks. It is located on the west bank of the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, and extends 30 km northwards from Dettifoss
waterfall, covering 120 km². Dettifoss is Europe's most powerful waterfall with an annual mean flow rate of 193 m³ per second. Further upstream are Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks), which are a row of craters featuring basalt
columns. In the northern part of the National Park lies Ásbyrgi
, a horseshoe-shaped depression, and the main campsite.
There is one scheduled bus connecting the area with Akureyri
, the only town with more than 10,000 citizens and an airport in northern Iceland.
Fjord
Geologically, a fjord is a long, narrow inlet with steep sides or cliffs, created in a valley carved by glacial activity.-Formation:A fjord is formed when a glacier cuts a U-shaped valley by abrasion of the surrounding bedrock. Glacial melting is accompanied by rebound of Earth's crust as the ice...
in northeastern Iceland
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...
, situated between the Tjörnes and Melrakkaslétta headlands.
Geography
Öxarfjörður is encircled by mountain ranges to the west and east, and the Gjástykki lava fields and an area with sand deposited by the glacial river Jökulsá in the south. The only village in the area is KópaskerKópasker
Kópasker is a small village with approximately 120 inhabitants in the municipality of Norðurþing, situated on the eastern shore of Öxarfjörður in northeast Iceland.-Overview:...
with about 130 inhabitants. The Mid-Atlantic ridge
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South...
runs through the western part of the fjord before going underwater again. Öxarfjörður went deeper inland in earlier geological times but the glacial river Jökulsá deposited sands from the highlands on a triangular area of about 300 km² called Sandur
Sandur
A sandur is a glacial outwash plain formed of sediments deposited by meltwater at the terminus of a glacier.- Formation :Sandar are found in glaciated areas, such as Svalbard, Kerguelen Islands, and Iceland...
. Sandur is still trenched by the delta
River delta
A delta is a landform that is formed at the mouth of a river where that river flows into an ocean, sea, estuary, lake, reservoir, flat arid area, or another river. Deltas are formed from the deposition of the sediment carried by the river as the flow leaves the mouth of the river...
of Jökulsá which is constantly changing its riverbed. There are two big lakes on Sandur, Vikingavatn and Skjálftavatn, the latter one formed by an earthquake in 1976, over the course of which some houses in the area were destroyed.
Economy
The economy of the area is mainly sheep farming. Sheep farm sizes vary between 100 and 1,000 sheep during winter. Between June and September the sheep and the newborn lambs are set free to graze in the highlands. They are driven home by all the farmers of an area on certain days in autumn with the help of horses and dogs. They are driven into a large fence and afterwards split up between the farmers who recognize them by their earmarksEarmark (agriculture)
An earmark is a cut or mark in the ear of livestock animals such as cattle, deer, pigs, goats, camels or sheep, made to show ownership, year of birth or gender....
. There is a large lamb-processing factory named Fjallalamb in Kópasker.
Fishery and tourism also play an important role. People work on fishing boats that set off from Kópasker harbour, and there are two fish farms producing salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, halibut
Halibut
Halibut is a flatfish, genus Hippoglossus, from the family of the right-eye flounders . Other flatfish are also called halibut. The name is derived from haly and butt , for its popularity on Catholic holy days...
and trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
.
Geothermal energy is utilized to heat the houses in the area. It is obtained from hot springs in Sandur.
Tourism
In the area is JökulsárgljúfurJökulsárgljúfur National Park
Jökulsárgljúfur National Park was a national park, situated in the north of Iceland around the river Jökulsá á Fjöllum. It lay to the north of the Dettifoss waterfall. On 7 June 2008, it became a part of the larger Vatnajökull National Park....
, one of four Icelandic National Parks. It is located on the west bank of the glacial river Jökulsá á Fjöllum, and extends 30 km northwards from Dettifoss
Dettifoss
Dettifoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, and is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe.It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100...
waterfall, covering 120 km². Dettifoss is Europe's most powerful waterfall with an annual mean flow rate of 193 m³ per second. Further upstream are Hljóðaklettar (Echo Rocks), which are a row of craters featuring basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
columns. In the northern part of the National Park lies Ásbyrgi
Ásbyrgi
thumb|right|200px|The rock "island" in the centre of Ásbyrgi canyonÁsbyrgi canyon lies in the north of Iceland, about two hours' drive to the east from Akureyri. The horseshoe-shaped depression is part of the Jökulsárgljúfur National Park and measures approximately 3.5 km in length and 1.1 km across...
, a horseshoe-shaped depression, and the main campsite.
There is one scheduled bus connecting the area with Akureyri
Akureyri
Akureyri is a town in northern Iceland. It is Iceland's second largest urban area and fourth largest municipality ....
, the only town with more than 10,000 citizens and an airport in northern Iceland.