A field expedition to Skaftárjökull on Thursday 1 October revealed that the jökulhlaup had burst through the glacier at several locations, see photos and a video in another article.

Dark bands of debris extended down where the jökulhlaup had flowed. Ice fragments were scattered over the surface of the glacier.

The flood waters appear to have flowed through the glacier for some time and concentrated in one or more circular channels that the flow melted through the glacier.

The measured discharge at Sveinstindur peaked around 2:00 this morning, showing almost 2100 m³/s. True discharge may have been considerably greater.

The discharge at Eldvatn near Ásar peaked around 13:00 showing discharge of approximately 2200 m³/s. The area outside the main water channel will be flooded for coming days.

Three gas sensors have been installed, in order to monitor the gas released from the glacial outburst occurring along the Skaftá river.

The farmers of Búland are ususally the first locals to witness these jökulhlaup events, now that farm Skaftárdalur (further inland) is not inhabited all year round anymore. Below Skaftárdalur the river Skaftá splits in three. One branch is Eldvatn beyond Ásar, through Flögulón and down into Kúðafljót. The second goes into Eldhraun at Árkvíslar. The third branch passes the town of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The photos in this article of Skaftá river were taken by the farmers at Búland, Auður Guðbjörnsdóttir and Pétur Davíð Sigurðsson, 1st Oct. 2015. For orientation see a map of gauging stations.