BASALT STONE, ÍSAFJÖRÐUR

© 2024 Elisa Debora Hofmann

Basalt stone formed steep mountains in the Westfjords where snow accumulates in winter and avalanches are common. Basalt stone is also used to construct massive defense walls that protect human settlements against avalanches. Climate change makes avalanches less predictable.

A stonewall, 18 meters tall, gives a vague idea of the amount and force of snow against which it defends the residents of Ísafjörður. Neighboring settlements remind us of the consequences of missing risk knowledge, awareness, and protection [3]. In 1995, avalanches killed 20 people in Flateyri and 14 in Súðavík [4]. The traumatic events left lasting traces in both villages: memorial sites with the names of the dead, a new kindergarten outside of the hazard zone, the weathered foundations of a destroyed house, and a large playground that brings joy to a site of devastation. From the outside, one can only guess what the tight-knit communities lived through.

After disaster struck, avalanche protection came on the political agenda. Flateyri saw the construction of a massive defense structure and Súðavík the partial relocation of the village. Yet, nature remains uncontrollable to some extent. In 2020, another avalanche destroyed a house behind Flateyri’s defense wall as well as the village’s entire fishing fleet in the harbor. New uncertainties arise as the climate is changing. Higher temperatures will likely make so-called slush avalanches from rain- and meltwater accumulation in snow more frequent throughout winter [5], [6]. At the same time, the better known dry snow avalanches will remain a major hazard due to their sheer size and destructive potential [Interview 11].

Scientific knowledge tries to keep pace with the hazards. It feeds into the updating of hazard maps and the engineering of improved defense structures [7]. Scientists are testing new systems for detection of avalanches based on seismic and infrasound technology [8]. In the long term, this will deliver data for enhanced forecasting of avalanche risks [Interview 8]. For the time being, however, local observers remain an important information source on snow and wind conditions as well as avalanche activity. Locals may see cracks in the snow that precede glide avalanches or may notice changes ahead of slush avalanches, such as blue-colored snow that indicates the presence of water. Combined with scientific data and modelling, these observations help scientists to decide when to evacuate houses and close roads [Interview 11].

Science also helps communities to prepare for the uncontrollable. Preparedness is inherently social as it involves decisions about search and rescue infrastructure, personnel, and equipment. In the Westfjords, search and rescue relies on volunteers and first aiders. These get fewer as time constraints make volunteering unattractive and as the population ages and shrinks [Interview 9]. Flateyri is down to 200 inhabitants, Súðavík to 175. Social scientists have facilitated dialogue within communities about improving preparedness, studied how attachment of people to place leads them to volunteer for search and rescue but also to underestimate the risks, and linked risk adaptation to the socio-economic development of rural communities [9]. On top of that, they are shaking the taboo of talking about the relocation of highly threatened communities as a last resort [10].