Melrakkaslétta
| Melrakkaslétta | ||
 Naustárfoss waterfall on Melrakkaslétta |
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| Geographical location | ||
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| Coordinates | 66 ° 22 ′ N , 16 ° 11 ′ W | |
| Waters 1 | Öxarfjörður | |
| Waters 2 | Þistilfjörður | |
| length | 40 km | |
| width | 30 km | |
.jpg) Farm near Kópasker |
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Melrakkaslétta (" Arctic Foxes Plain") is a peninsula in the far northeast of Iceland . It is around 30 km wide and 40 km long.
The peninsula protrudes between the fjords Öxarfjörður and Þistilfjörður in the North Atlantic .
Description of the peninsula
In the south of the peninsula there are volcanic mountains on the Hólaheiði plateau and north of Kópasker .
The northernmost headlands of Iceland protrude from Melrakkaslétta, Rifstangi and Hraunhafnartangi . The area is considered a ship cemetery .
Numerous lakes can be found near the coast, especially in the north of the peninsula.
About in the middle of the peninsula is a ditch , Blikalónsdalur . The peninsula belongs to the Tjörnes fracture zone , which is why the earth often shakes in Öxarfjörður and Kópasker. In 1976, an earthquake reached 6.3 on the Richter scale and caused severe damage.
The proximity to the rift zone is also expressed in volcanism . Post-glacial lava flows came e.g. B., from the Rauðhólar , craters on Öxarfjarðarheiði . The Presthólahraun lava field stretches from them to the west across the peninsula, while the Kerlingarhraun lavas streamed into the sea south of Raufarhöfn. At the northwest end of the Melrakkaslétta peninsula and about 20 kilometers north of Kópasker is the eroded volcano Rauðinúpur (dt. "Red Mountain Peak ") from the Ice Age . There are many nesting places for sea birds. At his feet lies the Núpskatla farm , where the author Jón Trausti grew up. The Rauðanúpsviti lighthouse dates from 1958.
places
There are only a few places on the peninsula, which is very flat in the north. In the east lies the fishing village of Raufarhöfn , in the west the village of Kópasker . They are the northernmost places of Iceland on the main island.
The farms are widely scattered. Quite a few have already been abandoned.
However, farmers can improve their income by fishing, collecting driftwood and harvesting eider duck down.
See also
Web links
Remarks
- ↑ Icelandic melrakki " arctic fox" and slétta "level".
- ↑ Íslandshandbókin , 1. bindi, Reykjavík, Örn & Örlygur, 1989, p. 532 f.
- ↑ Íslandshandbókin , 1. bindi, Reykjavík, Örn & Örlygur, 1989, p. 531
- ↑ Íslandshandbókin , 1. bindi, Reykjavík, Örn & Örlygur, 1989, p. 532 f.
- ↑ Íslandshandbókin , 1. bindi, Reykjavík, Örn & Örlygur, 1989, p. 534