Sørfjord in Inner Hardanger

Abstract

THE FJORD symposium of the 1960 congress will be based at Lofthus on the east shore of Sørfjord in inner Hardanger. Here was the favourite summer residence of Edvard Grieg, who in his music has left a most perfect expression of Norwegian nature. Almost unrivalled in the beauty of its landscape, Lofthus also offers to the scientist opportunities for examining almost all aspects of fjord phenomena, physical as well as human. These include slope development at all stages, enormous old and new stone screes, removal of soil and vegetation by recent snow-slides, changing and growing alluvial fans, sites selected for farmsteads and fields, old and new patterns of settlement and land use, water-power developments and new industrial towns. On their way to or from Hardanger, members will se a fine cross-section of South Norway with, from east to west 1) the sub-Cambrian peneplane with mature valley profiles (Hardangervidda), 2) an almost vertical waterfall (Vøringsfoss) at the transition from the high plain to 3) the young valley (Måbødal).