The Hydrology of a Sandur-Wetland in a Volcanic Environment, Southeast Iceland

Iceland is a geothermally active island with sharp contrasts in climate and geography. A 2.5 km stretch of a proglacial river neighboring an inhabited wetland was monitored between September 2015 to September 2016. Water wells along transects coupled with pressure transducers monitored the water table response across this sandur-wetland landscape. Additional geomorphic and climatic data were also collected at this site in order to better understand the sandurs response to both seasonal and episodic weather events. UAV derived DEMs coupled with hydrological data, allowed for the mapping of flooding extents during the study period. Through a combination of climatological, hydrological and remote sensing means, this study attempts to provide spatial and temporal information of flooding levels in response to rainfall and episodic floods and seeks to better understand how variable/extreme events can generate significant hydrological and geomorphic changes within this dynamic sandur-wetland landscape.