jökulhlaup
A jökulhlaup is a type of glacial outburst flood that occurs when water trapped beneath a glacier suddenly releases. This can happen due to the melting of ice, volcanic activity, or the failure of a dam formed by ice or sediment. The rapid release of water can lead to significant flooding downstream, often with little warning.
These floods are commonly associated with glaciers in regions like Iceland, where volcanic activity frequently interacts with ice. The term comes from the Icelandic words for glacier (jökull) and running water (hlaup), highlighting the phenomenon's connection to both ice and water dynamics.