DRIFTWOOD, NESSTRÖND

© 2024 Elisa Debora Hofmann

Driftwood from Siberia and North America travels many years through the Arctic Ocean before reaching the shores of the Westfjords. Once a valuable resource on a treeless island, driftwood has a place in Icelandic culture. Climate change changes reduces the arrival of new driftwood.

The small stony bays at Nesströnd, and further along the long and winding Strandir coast, are scattered with driftwood, fishing nets, buoys, litter, algae, and shells from the Arctic Ocean. Driftwood farmers along the coast used to collect the wood, which has a smooth and bright look. In a virtually treeless country like Iceland, driftwood was a widely used marine resource in the past. Today, human uses of driftwood have become fewer. It is still found in fence poles, old farm churches, handicrafts, and art objects [Interview 2].

Driftwood reaches the Westfjords after a long journey through the Arctic Ocean. Most of it comes from Siberia, some from North America. The shape of the wood reveals how it got into the ocean. The widespread logs without roots originate from the timber industry that has floated large amounts of wood down big Arctic streams—and loses some to the ocean [23]. The more rare trunks with roots have fallen into rivers naturally, for instance, due to riverbank erosion or flooding. Once in the Arctic Ocean, driftwood travels in the ice typically for 12-15 years [24]. This, however, is changing.

Science studies driftwood as a symbol of climate change. Warming sea temperatures modify various processes in and around the Arctic Ocean in ways that reduce driftwood transport. The shrinking sea ice cover, decreasing salinity, and increasing damages from wildfires make driftwood more likely to sink before reaching the multi-year ice needed for a long ocean journey. Scientists predict that no new driftwood will arrive on Icelandic shores by 2060 [25]. Somewhat ironically, old driftwood itself can serve as a climate archive. Its scientific analysis can provide insights into past climate variations as well as into changes in ocean currents, sea ice, and sea levels [26].

Scientists also explore the societal dimension of this symbol. To understand the cultural importance of driftwood, archaeologists have examined its past uses in Iceland and across the North Atlantic. They found that driftwood was a used in construction, households, boatbuilding, and as fuel [27]. While wood imports or other materials have replaced these uses, driftwood still occupies an important cultural space in some rural areas of Iceland. A transdisciplinary project that combined research, art, and local perspectives through filmmaking explored what the loss of driftwood means to people and, thereby, also raises awareness of climate change [24].