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39-498: The unique qualities of Vatnajökull National Park are primarily its great variety of landscape features, created by the combined forces of rivers, glacial ice, and volcanic and geothermal activity. The park spans 14% of the countries area, and of it the glacier itself is 7,700 square kilometres (3,000 sq mi) (the glacier is the largest one in Europe), it's Europe's second largest national park in terms of area after Yugyd Va in

78-494: A campsite are located in Ásbyrgi, along with a campsite in Vesturdalur [ˈvɛstʏrˌtaːlʏr̥] . The Eastern Territory includes Kverkfjöll mountains and north-eastern Vatnajökull, as well as the expanses of Snæfellsöræfi [ˈstnaiːˌfɛlsˌœːrˌaiːvɪ] . A visitor centre is located at Skriðuklaustur . The Southern Territory extends throughout the south-eastern part of Vatnajökull, or from Lómagnúpur mountain in

117-731: A matter of hours. Switzerland, southern Germany, and Austria have a warmer climate due to the Foehn, as moist winds off the Mediterranean Sea blow over the Alps . The name Foehn ( German : Föhn , pronounced [ˈføːn] ) arose in the Alpine region. Originating from Latin (ventus) favonius , a mild west wind of which Favonius was the Roman personification and probably transmitted by Romansh : favuogn or just fuogn ,

156-411: A popular textbook example of atmospheric thermodynamics. However, the common occurrence of 'dry' Foehn events, where there is no precipitation, implies there must be other mechanisms. Isentropic draw-down is the draw-down of warmer, drier air from aloft. When the approaching winds are insufficiently strong to propel the low-level air up and over the mountain barrier, the airflow is said to be 'blocked' by

195-427: Is Europe's largest glacier outside the arctic, with a surface area of 8,100 km. Generally measuring 400–600 m in thickness and at the most 950 m, the glacial ice conceals a number of mountains, valleys and plateaus. It even hides some active central volcanoes , of which Bárðarbunga is the largest and Grímsvötn the most active. While the icecap rises at its highest to over 2,000 m above sea level,

234-510: Is a result not only of the warmth of Foehn air, but also its low relative humidity . Accordingly, Foehn winds are known to contribute to the disintegration of ice shelves in the polar regions. Foehn winds are notorious among mountaineers in the Alps, especially those climbing the Eiger , for whom the winds add further difficulty in ascending an already difficult peak. They are also associated with

273-600: Is located in Kirkjubæjarklaustur , jointly run by the national park and the local community. The visitor centre in Skaftafell is open all year round. The visitor centres in Ásbyrgi and Skriðuklaustur are open from the beginning of May throughout September, but can be opened during winter on appointment. Most of the national park's highland area is however inaccessible during the winter. National park rangers conduct patrols and provide educational services in

312-413: Is unproven. Labels for preparations of aspirin combined with caffeine , codeine and the like will sometimes include Föhnkrankheit among the indications. Evidence for effects from Chinook winds remains anecdotal, as it does for New Zealand's Nor'wester . In some regions, Foehn winds are associated with causing circulatory problems, headaches, or similar ailments. Researchers have found, however,

351-488: The Mount Karpinsky (1878 m), Bell Tower (1724 m), Manaraga (1662 m), Nioroika (1645 m). More than half of the park is covered with the taiga boreal forest ; the rest is mostly tundra , found at higher elevations. There are also some 20 km of meadows, both alpine ones and those in the river valleys. Some 180 bird species live in the park, some of them quite rare. Twenty fish species are known to inhabit

390-719: The Ural Mountains of Russia. In 2019 the park was enlarged to the north. On 5 July 2019 Vatnajökull National Park was inscribed as a World Heritage Site . Vatnajökull National Park was established on 7 June 2008. When established, the park covered an area of 12,000 km, but with later additions of Lakagígar , Langisjór , Krepputunga [ˈkʰrɛhpʏˌtʰuŋka] and Jökulsárlón (including its surrounding areas) it now covers 14,967 km or approximately 14% of Iceland, making it Europe's second largest national park in terms of area after Yugyd Va in Russia. Vatnajökull

429-468: The lee of a mountain range . It is a rain shadow wind that results from the subsequent adiabatic warming of air that has dropped most of its moisture on windward slopes (see orographic lift ). As a consequence of the different adiabatic lapse rates of moist and dry air, the air on the leeward slopes becomes warmer than equivalent elevations on the windward slopes. Foehn winds can raise temperatures by as much as 14 °C (25 °F) in just

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468-497: The Foehn warming and drying effect. These mechanisms often act together, with their contributions varying depending on the size and shape of the mountain barrier and on the meteorological conditions, such as the upstream wind speed, temperature and humidity. When winds blow over elevated terrain, air forced upwards expands and cools due to the decrease in pressure with height. Since colder air can hold less water vapor, moisture condenses to form clouds and precipitates as rain or snow on

507-523: The National Park with its wide range of elevations. Precipitation in low-lying areas south of the Vatnajökull ice cap is considerable, ranging from 1,000 mm a year to 3,000 mm per year. Temperatures range between 10 °C and 20 °C in summer, while winters are rather mild (the thermometer rarely falls below −10 °C and the temperature is often well above freezing point). In

546-814: The Polar Ural and Northern Ural, on the border of Europe and Asia . The rivers flowing from the western slope of the Ural Mountains , such as the Bolshaya Synya supply water to the Pechora River , one of the largest rivers in Europe flowing into the Barents Sea . The natural boundary of the park in the east is the main ridge of the Ural mountains, in the north - the Kozhim River , in the west -

585-555: The glacier base reaches its lowest point 300 m below sea level. Nowhere in Iceland, with the exception of Mýrdalsjökull glacier, does more precipitation fall or more water drain to the sea than on the south side of Vatnajökull. In fact, so much water is currently stored in Vatnajökull that the Icelandic river with the greatest flow, Ölfusá , would need over 200 years to carry this quantity of water to sea. The scenery encircling

624-513: The glacier is extremely varied. Towards the north, the highland plateau is divided by glacial rivers, with powerful flows in summer. The volcanoes of Askja , Kverkfjöll and Snæfell [ˈstnaiːˌfɛtl̥] tower over this region, together with the volcanic table mountain Herðubreið . Long ago, huge glacial floods carved out the canyon of Jökulsárgljúfur in the northern reaches of this plateau. The mighty Dettifoss waterfall still thunders into

663-429: The highlands as rain while warmer, drier air flows down to lower ground on the other side. The difference in temperature can be 10 °C or greater. Vatnajökull National Park is divided into four territories, each of them locally managed. The Northern Territory consists of north-western Vatnajökull, Askja caldera and its surroundings, Jökulsárgljúfur canyon and some of Jökulsá á Fjöllum riverbed. A visitor centre and

702-575: The highlands, most ranger stations offer daily interpretive walks from early July until mid-August. Yugyd Va National Park Yugyd Va National Park ( Komi , Russian : Югыд ва ) is a national park in the Komi Republic , a republic of Russia . It is Europe's largest national park (ahead of Vatnajökull National Park in Iceland) and it was Russia's largest national park until the creation of Beringia National Park in 2013. The park

741-429: The ice cap it drops to between 350 and 450 mm per year, the lowest in Iceland. Precipitation increases closer to the north coast and in parts of the highlands such as at Askja. Temperatures can fall quite low in clear and calm weather during winter. Southerly winds generally mean little or no precipitation in the north, along with higher temperatures. Northerly winds bring clouds, with cool and possibly wet weather in

780-404: The landscape west of Vatnajökull, where two of the world's greatest fissure and lava eruptions of historical times occurred, at Eldgjá in 934 and Lakagígar 1783–1784. Vonarskarð [ˈvɔːnarˌskarθ] , northwest of the glacier, is a colourful high-temperature area and a watershed between North and South Iceland. The weather can vary considerably in an area as extensive as that covered by

819-401: The lee of mountains, where clear, sunny conditions prevail. This often leads to greater daytime radiative (solar) warming under Foehn conditions. This type of warming is particularly important in cold regions where snow or ice melt is a concern or where avalanches are a risk. Winds of this type are also called "snow-eaters" for their ability to make snow and ice melt or sublimate rapidly. This

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858-488: The lowlands. The southernmost part of the glacier envelops the central volcano Öræfajökull and Iceland's highest peak, Hvannadalshnjúkur . Sheltered by the high ice, the vegetated oasis of Skaftafell overlooks the black sands deposited to its west by the river Skeiðará . These sands are mostly composed of ash which stems from the frequent eruptions at Grímsvötn and is brought to the coast by jökulhlaups , or glacial floods. Substantial volcanic activity also characterises

897-409: The mountain and only air higher up near mountain-top level is able to pass over and down the lee slopes as Foehn winds. These higher source regions provide Foehn air that becomes warmer and drier on the leeside after it is compressed with descent due to the increase in pressure towards the surface. When river water passes over rocks, turbulence is generated in the form of rapids, and white water reveals

936-402: The mountain's upwind slopes. The change of state from vapor to liquid water releases latent heat energy which heats the air, partially countering the cooling that occurs as the air rises. The subsequent removal of moisture as precipitation renders this heat gain by the air irreversible, leading to the warm, dry, Foehn conditions as the air descends in the mountain's lee. This mechanism has become

975-401: The mountains and on the ice cap itself, annual precipitation can reach to between 4,000 and 5,000 mm, for the most part in the form of snow. The depth of snow on Öræfajökull after a high-precipitation winter is between 10 and 15 m. Some of the snow will melt, while the rest forms glacial ice. This process happens everywhere above the snowline on the Vatnajökull ice cap. Temperatures on

1014-434: The north of the country, while the south is brighter and milder. The same applies to westerly or south westerly winds, which bring warmer weather in the east. The reverse is true of easterly winds, which bring coolness and precipitation in the east and dry, better weather in the west of Iceland. This is the result of the phenomenon of foehn wind . Humid, rather cool air rises as it nears the highlands; condensation then falls in

1053-455: The park include rafting , boating, and hiking in the summer, Nordic skiing in winter. Limited hunting is allowed too, but permits have to be applied for several months in advance. Due to the remote location of the park, the amount of tourism there is still quite low. According to the park's management, it is currently visited by some 4,000 tourists every year, which is much less than the park's potential recreational capacity. The management

1092-448: The park's highland areas. The opening times of the stations vary from area to area, with the first rangers arriving when the relevant highland roads are opened, soon after the middle of June, and the last rangers leaving at the end of September. During the summer, national park rangers offer short walks with an emphasis on nature interpretation. From mid-June to mid-August, rangers guide daily interpretive walks at Ásbyrgi and Skaftafell. In

1131-550: The park's rivers and lakes. There are also five amphibian species and one reptile species in the park. Among the mammals common in the park are the mountain hare , flying squirrel , reindeer , ermine , otter , Alces alces (known as the moose in North American English and elk in British English), wolf , fox , wolverine , bear , pine marten , weasel , Arctic fox . Recreational uses of

1170-804: The rapid spread of wildfires , making some regions which experience these winds particularly fire-prone. Anecdotally, residents in areas of frequent Foehn winds have reported experiencing a variety of illnesses ranging from migraines to psychosis . The first clinical review of these effects was published by the Austrian physician Anton Czermak in the 19th century. A study by the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München found that suicide and accidents increased by 10 percent during Foehn winds in Central Europe. The causation of Föhnkrankheit (English: Foehn-sickness)

1209-790: The rivers Synja, Vangir and Kosya , in the south - the Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve . The territory of the park is part of the Prepolar-Ural physical-geographical area and is located in three zones - mountain, foothill and lowland, which were formed more than 200 million years ago. It is here in the central part of the Yugid Va National Park that the highest peaks of the Ural Mountains are: the Mount Narodnaya (1894.5 m), as well as

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1248-399: The southern part of the ice cap are almost always below zero in winter and can reach −20 °C or −30 °C. High winds and storms are common, and therefore wind-chill has to be taken into account as the wind can have a substantial effect on outdoor comfort, even when the ambient temperature is relatively high. Further north beyond the ice cap, annual precipitation decreases. North-east of

1287-694: The term was adopted as Old High German : phōnno . In the Southern Alps, the phenomenon is known as Föhn but also Italian : favonio and fen in Serbo-Croatian and Slovene . The German word Föhn (pronounced the same way) also means 'hairdryer', while the word Fön is a genericized trademark today owned by AEG . The form phon is used in French-speaking parts of Switzerland as well as in Italy . The name Föhn

1326-408: The turbulent mixing of the water with the air above. Similarly, as air passes over mountains, turbulence occurs and the atmosphere is mixed in the vertical. This mixing generally leads to a downward warming and upward moistening of the cross-mountain airflow, and consequently to warmer, drier Foehn winds in the valleys downwind. Dry Foehn conditions are responsible for the occurrence of rain shadows in

1365-503: The upper end of this canyon, while the scenic formations at Hljóðaklettar [ˈl̥jouːðaˌkʰlɛhtar̥] and the horseshoe-curved cliffs of Ásbyrgi are found farther north. Broad wetlands and expansive ranges distinguish the areas near the glacier and farther east, around Snæfell. These areas are an important habitat for reindeer and pink-footed geese. The south side of Vatnajökull is characterised by many high, majestic mountain ridges, with outlet glaciers descending between them onto

1404-522: The west to Lón [ˈlouːn] and Lónsöræfi in the east. A visitor centre and a campsite are located in Skaftafell. Information centres in co-operation with the national park are run in Höfn , Hoffell , Hólmur [ˈhoulmʏr̥] and Skálafell [ˈskauːlaˌfɛtl̥] . The Western Territory extends over the south-western part of Vatnajökull and a large area outside the glacier, including Lakagígar craters and Langisjór. An information centre

1443-404: Was concerned with the fact that the user fees (some 2.4 million roubles (US$ 100,000) a year) did not cover park expenses (some 5 million roubles (US$ 200,000) a year). Foehn wind A Foehn , or Föhn ( UK : / f ɜː n / , US : / f eɪ n / fayn , US also / f ʌ n , f ɜːr n / fu(r)n ), is a type of dry, relatively warm downslope wind in

1482-677: Was created by the Russian Government on April 23, 1994, with the goals of protection and recreational use of the taiga forests of the Northern Urals. In 1995, the forest area including the Yugyd Va National Park and the nearby Pechora-Ilych Nature Reserve were recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site , Virgin Komi Forests . The Yugyd Va National Park is located on the western slopes of

1521-510: Was originally used to refer to the south wind which blows during the winter months and brings thaw conditions to the northern side of the Alps . Because Föhn later became a generic term that was extended to other mountain ranges around the world that experience similar phenomena, the name " Alpine föhn " ( Alpenföhn ) was coined for the Föhns of the Alpine region. There are four known causes of

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