Active rivers: the braidplains of Landmannalaugar

Broad braided river floodplain near Landmannalaugar, Iceland. During the brief summer period, intensive snow melt turns this river into a wild stream that floods the entire valley bottom and reshapes the floodplain morphology as the gravelly point bars change their position. At the time this picture was taken, the major flood has past and the water level is dropping again. Other parts of the floodplain further downstream (can be seen in the distance) are still under water. The seasonal transformation of this river takes place in one of the active volcanic areas on Iceland.