This is an incomplete list of volcanic eruptions in Iceland. Please see External links below for databases of Icelandic eruptions which include over 530 events.
There are about 32 volcanic systems in Iceland. Volcanic system means a volcano-tectonic fissure system and â very often a bigger volcano, a so-called central volcano which in most cases is a stratovolcano and may contain a caldera.
Askja is an active volcano in the central highlands. It is a complex of nested calderas within the Dyngjufjöll mountains. The Askja system includes, for example, the Herðubreið tabular volcano, the Herðubreiðartögl palagonite ridge, and the shield volcanoes Kollóttadyngja, Flatadyngja and Svartadyngja. (Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Askja 11,000, Askja 1874, Askja 1875-January, Askja 1875-February, Askja 1875-March, Askja 1876, Askja 1921, Askja 1922, Askja 1923, Askja 1926, Askja 1929, Askja 1961.
Bárðarbunga is an active stratovolcano located under the Vatnajökull glacier. It is the second highest mountain in Iceland, above sea level, and part of a volcanic system that is approximately long and wide. Historically there are large eruptions every 250âÂÂ600 years. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Bárðarbunga ca.6600-6700 BC, Bárðarbunga 877, Bárðarbunga 1477, Bárðarbunga 1701-1864, Bárðarbunga 1910, Bárðarbunga 1996, Bárðarbunga 2010, Bárðarbunga 2014-15.
Brennisteinsfjöll is a minor system on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the southwest. It consists of crater rows and small shield volcanoes. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Brennisteinsfjöll 5200BP, Brennisteinsfjöll 1340, Brennisteinsfjöll 1341
Dyngjufjöll is a volcanic mountain range in the northeast of Iceland. It belongs to the Askja volcanic system (sometimes called the Dyngjufjöll volcanic system), and is part of the Vatnajökull National Park. The central volcano of basalt and rhyolite has its own system of crevices and fissures, which last erupted in 1961. (Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Dyngjufjöll 1961,
Eldey is a small island about 13 kilometres off the coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest. The Eldey and Geirfuglasker volcanic systems together form the Eldey system on the mid-Atlantic ridge. There is not a central volcano.
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Eldfell is a volcanic cone on the island of Heimaey. It formed in a volcanic eruption which began without warning on the eastern side of Heimaey, in the Westman Islands, on 23 January 1973. The eruption caused a major crisis for the island and led to its temporary evacuation. Volcanic ash fell over most of the island, destroying around 400 homes, and a lava flow threatened to close off the harbour, the island's main income source via its fishing fleet. An operation was mounted to cool the advancing lava flow by pumping sea water onto it, which was successful in preventing the loss of the harbour. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Eruptive Chronology below: Eldfell 1973
Eldgjá is a volcano and canyon that is part of the Katla volcano; a segment of a chain of volcanic craters and fissure vents that extends northeast away from Katla. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Eldgjá 934 or 939
Esja (Esjan) is a mountain situated in the southwest of Iceland, about ten kilometres north of Iceland's capital city ReykjavÃÂk. Esja is not a single mountain, but a volcanic mountain range, made from basalt and tuff. Esja was built up at the end of the Pleistocene with the beginning of the Ice Age. During the warm periods lava flowed, and in the cold periods ridges of tuff were built up under the glacier. The western part of the mountain range is the oldest (about 3.2 million years) and the eastern part is the youngest (about 1.8 million years). Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Ezjá 3,200,000, Ezjá 1,800,000
Esjufjöll is a subglacial volcano at the southeastern part of the Vatnajökull icecap. It is a strict nature reserve. The volcanic system consists of the Snaehetta central volcano with a large caldera. Most of the volcano, including the 40 km<sup>2</sup> caldera, is covered by the icecap. On the other hand, are parts of the SE flank exposed in NW-SE-trending ridges. Most of the exposed rocks are mildly alkaline basalts, but there are also small amounts of rhyolitic rocks. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ) (or Oræfi Volcanic Belt.)
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Eyjafjallajökull (E15), which is under an ice cap, has erupted relatively frequently since the Last Glacial Period, most recently in 2010, disrupting international travel. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Eyjafjallajökull 1612, Eyjafjallajökull 1821-23, Eyjafjallajökull 2010 March, Eyjafjallajökull 2010 April
Fagradalsfjall is an active tuya volcano formed in the Last Glacial Period on the Reykjanes Peninsula, around from ReykjavÃÂk. Fagradalsfjall is also the name for the wider volcanic system covering an area wide and long between the Svartsengi and KrýsuvÃÂk systems. No volcanic eruption had occurred for 815 years on the Reykjanes Peninsula until 19 March 2021. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Fagradalsfjall 2021, Fagradalsfjall 2022, Fagradalsfjall 2023
Festarfjall is an exposed tuya mountain on the south coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula near the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system and GrindavÃÂk. The flat-topped volcano formed under the ice sheet in the Last Glacial Period on the Reykjanes Peninsula. It has been bisected vertically by coastal erosion, exposing its inner structure, including lava layers and an intrusive magma dyke. It may have been formed during two separate glacial periods. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
Fremrinámur is a volcanic system on the basalt plateau, at the junction of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the GreenlandâÂÂIcelandâÂÂFaeroe Ridge. (Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Fremrinámur 800 BC.
Geirfuglasker ("Great Auk Rock") was a small islet near Reykjanes, Iceland, a volcanic rock with steep sides except for two landing places. It submerged beneath the waves in 1830, due to a volcanic eruption. Later a new Geirfuglasker appeared on the site. (Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Geirfuglasker 1830.
Gjálp is a hyaloclastite ridge (tindar) under the Vatnajökull glacier shield. It originated in an eruption series in 1996, which is probably part of the GrÃÂmsvötn volcanic system,
It was the first modern technical monitoring and analysis of a subglacial eruption under a thick ice cover with a resulting jökulhlaup. The volume of meltwater was around . The Vatnajökull glacier is part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Gjálp 1938, Gjálp 1996.
Grensdalur is a volcano that was active during Pleistocene. Part of the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Grensdalur 2,500,000
GrÃÂmsey is a small island, off the north coast of the main island of Iceland, where it straddles the Arctic Circle. (However, due to long-term oscillations in the Earth's axis, the Arctic Circle is shifting northward by about per year. As of 2020, the place where the line crosses the island is close to the northern tip and by the middle of the 21st century it will pass north of Grimsey altogether.) Part of the Kolbeinsey Ridge (KR).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
GrÃÂmsnes is a fissure or crater-row volcanic system. Part of the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: GrÃÂmsnes 3500 BC.
Kerið is a volcanic crater lake located in the GrÃÂmsnes area in south Iceland, along the Golden Circle. It is one of several crater lakes in the area, known as the Western Volcanic Zone, created as the land moved over a localized hotspot, but it has the most visually recognizable caldera still intact. The caldera, like the other volcanic rock in the area, is composed of a red (rather than black) volcanic rock, and is approximately deep, wide, and across. Kerið's caldera is one of the three most recognisable volcanic craters because at approximately 6,500 years old, it is only half the age of most of the surrounding volcanic features. The other two are Seyðishólar and Kerhóll.
Although originally believed to have been formed by a volcanic explosion, studies of the GrÃÂmsnes region failed to find any supporting evidence. So it is now believed that Kerið was a cone volcano which erupted and emptied its magma reserve. Once the magma was depleted, the weight of the cone collapsed into the empty magma chamber. The current pool of water at the bottom of the crater is at the same level as the water table and is not caused by rainfall.
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Kerið 6,500 BP.
GrÃÂmsvötn is an active volcano with a (partially subglacial) fissure system located in Vatnajökull National Park. Including the Skaftá eruption of 1783, GrÃÂmsvötn is probably the most eruptive volcano system in Iceland. The Laki/LakagÃÂgar lava field alone is estimated to have produced about of lava. GrÃÂmsvötn has probably had more than 30 eruptions in the last 400 years, and produced around over the last 10,000 years. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: GrÃÂmsvötn 8230 BC, GrÃÂmsvötn 753, GrÃÂmsvötn 781, GrÃÂmsvötn 1332, GrÃÂmsvötn 1341, GrÃÂmsvötn 1354, 1598, 1603, 1619, 1629, 1638, 1659, 1684-85, 1774, 1783-84, 1797, 1807, 1816, 1854, 1861, 1867, 1873, 1883, 1885, 1887, 1889, 1892, 1897, 1902-04, 1905-06, 1908-09, 1910, 1922, 1923, 1933, 1938, 1941, 1945, 1954, 1983, 1984, 1996, 1998, 2004, 2011.
See also GrÃÂmsvötn Eruptive activity below
Hekla is an active stratovolcano in the south. It is one of the most active volcanoes, with over 20 eruptions since the year 1210. During the Middle Ages it was known as the "Gateway to Hell". It is part of a volcanic ridge, long. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Hekla 5000 BC, Hekla 3900 BC, Hekla 2500 BC, Hekla 1000-900 BC, Hekla 800, 1104, 1158, 1206, 1222, 1300, 1341, 1389, 1440, 1510, 1554, 1597, 1636-37, 1693, 1725, 1766-68, 1845-46, 1878, 1913, 1947-48, 1970, 1980-81, 1991, Hekla 2000.
See also Hekla Eruptive activity below
Helgafell is a small mountain on Snæfellsnes Peninsula. Part of the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Helgafell (on Heimaey), formed from a secondary eruption on the Stórhöfði peninsula on the island Heimaey, Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands). Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Stórhöfði peninsula 6,000 BP, Helgafell (on Heimaey) 3,000 BC
Hengill is a volcanic table mountain in the southwest, to the south of ÃÂingvellir. The volcano is still active, evidenced by its numerous hot springs and fumaroles. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Hengill 1130 BC
Herðubreið, is a tuya in northern part of Vatnajökull National Park, close to Askja volcano. It formed beneath the ice sheet during the last glacial period.
Hofsjökull is a subglacial shield volcano with caldera, formed during the Last Glacial Period. The Hofsjökull glacier is Iceland's third-largest ice cap after Vatnajökull and Langjökull. It is the largest active volcano in the country, situated in the west of the Highlands
See chronology below: Hofsjökull 2,500,000-11,000, Hofsjökull 2015
Holuhraun is a lava field just north of the Vatnajökull ice cap, in the Icelandic Highlands, in Suður-ÃÂingeyjarsýsla, Northeastern Region. The lava field was created by fissure eruptions. (Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Holuhraun 2014-15
Hrómundartindur is a mountain north of Hveragerði.
Hvalbakur, a small, uninhabited island, is the easternmost point of Iceland. Located in the Austurland region, offshore, it is long and up to wide, with its highest point above sea level. It appears on maps from 1761.
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Hvannadalshnúkur is a pyramidal peak on the northwestern rim of the summit crater of the ÃÂræfajökull volcano in Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. Its summit is the highest point in the country.
Hveravellir is a geothermal field of the Oddnýjarhnjúkur-Langjökull subglacial volcanic system in the north of Langjökull glacier. Part of the West volcanic zone (WVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Hveravellir 5,800 BC, Hveravellir 1000 BC
Hverfjall (Hverfell) is a tephra cone or phreatomagmatic eruption in northern Iceland. The eruption was in the southern part of the Krafla fissure swarm. (Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Hverfjall 500 BC
The Iceland hotspot is a hotspot that is partly responsible for the high volcanic activity which has formed the Iceland Plateau and the island of Iceland. Iceland's location astride the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American Plates are moving apart, is partly responsible for this intense volcanic activity, but an additional cause is necessary to explain why Iceland is a substantial island while the rest of the ridge mostly consists of seamounts, with peaks below sea level.
As well as being a region of higher temperature than the surrounding mantle, the hotspot is believed to have a higher concentration of water. The presence of water in magma reduces the melting temperature, which may also play a role in enhancing Icelandic volcanism.
Ingólfsfjall is a tuya in the vicinity of Hveragerði, originating from subglacial eruptions and consisting mostly of basalt and palagonite. Part of the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Ingólfsfjall 400,000
Jólnir was a volcanic island off the south coast between December 1965 and July 1966. It was a vent of Surtsey, along with Syrtlingur and Surtla. Over the following eight months, it appeared and disappeared several times, as wave erosion and volcanic activity alternated in dominance, until oceanic erosion led to its final disappearance. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Jólnir 1963
- Katla; Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Katla 10,000, Katla 1000 BC, Katla 751, Katla 822, Katla 920, Katla 934, Katla 1000, Katla 1179 , Katla 1245, Katla 1311, Katla 1357, Katla 1416, 1480, 1580, 1612, 1625, 1660, 1693, 1721, 1755, 1821, 1860, 1918, 1955.
See also Katla Eruptive activity below
Keilir is a Pleistocene subglacial mound or perhaps a conical tuya on Reykjanes Peninsula. It is part of the KrýsuvÃÂk volcanic system and Reykjanesfólkvangur, and is about southwest of ReykjavÃÂk. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Keilir 2,500,000-11,000
Kerlingarfjöll is a mountain range in the Highlands of Iceland near the Kjölur highland road. It is part of a large tuya volcano system with hot springs and rivulets, as well as red volcanic rhyolite stone.
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Kolbeinsey is a small basalt islet, devoid of vegetation, in the Greenland Sea located off the northern coast of Iceland, north-northwest of the island of GrÃÂmsey. It is the northernmost point of Iceland and lies north of the Arctic Circle. Kolbeinsey is subject to rapid wave erosion and is expected to disappear in the near future. Erosion rate data from 1994 suggested that this would happen around 2020. , two small skerries remained visible at low tide.
Kolbeinsey is the only subaerial expression of this portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It formed during the late Pleistocene (from âÂÂ2.58 million to 11,700 years ago) (or Holocene). Dredged glass shards indicate submarine eruptive activity during the late Pleistocene until at least 11,800 radiocarbon years ago. Part of the Kolbeinsey Ridge (KR).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Kolbeinsey Ridge is a segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge located in the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded to the south by the Tjörnes Fracture Zone, which connects the submarine ridge to the on-shore Northern Volcanic Zone rifting center in eastern Iceland. The volcanic islands Kolbeinsey and GrÃÂmsey lie along the ridge. Part of the Kolbeinsey Ridge (KR).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Kollóttadyngja is a shield volcano in the ÃÂdáðahraun lava-field. The summit crater contains a bowl about 150 metres in diameter with a depth of about 60âÂÂ70 metres. Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Krafla is a volcanic caldera about 10 km in diameter with a fissure zone. It is located in the north of Iceland in the Mývatn region and is situated on the Iceland hotspot atop the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which forms the divergent boundary between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. Its highest peak reaches up to and it is 2 km in depth. There have been 29 reported eruptions in recorded history. Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Krafla 500BC, Krafla 900, Krafla 1724-29, Krafla 1746, Krafla fires 1975, Krafla fires 1977 April, Krafla fires 1977 September, Krafla fires 1980 March, Krafla fires 1980 July, Krafla fires 1980 October, Krafla fires 1981 January, Krafla fires 1981 November, Krafla fires 1984
Krakatindur is a volcano in the county of Rangárvallasýsla. Located east of Hekla, it is part of the Nýjahraun lava field. It is 858 meters high and last erupted in 1878. (Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Krakatindur 1878
KrýsuvÃÂk is a fissure swarm without a central volcano, situated on the divergent tectonic plate boundary of the Reykjanes peninsula. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: KrýsuvÃÂk 100,000, KrýsuvÃÂk 1151-1188
Kverkfjöll is a mountain range situated on the northeastern border of the Vatnajökull glacier, between the Vatnajökull glacier and the Dyngjufjöll mountains. Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Kverkfjöll 1655, Kverkfjöll 1711-12, Kverkfjöll 1729, Kverkfjöll 1929
Laki is a volcanic fissure that bisects Laki mountain in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park. LakagÃÂgar is part of the GrÃÂmsvötn volcanic system. The pollution from the 1783 eruption led to the deaths of over 50% of Iceland's livestock, and the destruction of the vast majority of crops. The resulting famine then killed approximately a quarter of the island's human population. The eight-month emission of sulfuric aerosols resulted in one of the most important climatic and socially significant natural events of the last millennium, triggering up to 6 million deaths worldwide. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Laki 1783-84
Landmannalaugar is a lava field in the Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands, on the edge of the Laugahraun lava field. This lava field was formed by an eruption in approximately 1477. (Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Landmannalaugar 1477
Langjökull (long glacier) is the second-largest ice cap in Iceland, with an area of , after Vatnajökull. It is situated in the west of the interior or Highlands of Iceland and can be seen clearly from Haukadalur. The volume is and up to thick. The highest point (Baldjökull) is about above sea level. The largest recorded surface area was in 1840. Part of the West volcanic zone (WVZ). Associated volcanoes: Hveravellir, Prestahnúkur
Ljósufjöll is a fissure vent system and central volcano on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The eruption in CE is the only one on the peninsula in recorded history. Part of the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Ljósufjöll 960
Loki-Fögrufjöll is a subglacial volcano under the Vatnajökull glacier, within the Bárðarbunga fissure system. It is independent of Bárðarbunga itself. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Loki-Fögrufjöll 1910, Loki-Fögrufjöll 1986, Loki-Fögrufjöll 1991, Loki-Fögrufjöll 2006, Loki-Fögrufjöll 2008, Loki-Fögrufjöll 2011.
Lýsuhóll, also known as Lysukard or Helgrindur, is the smallest volcano in Iceland. It is centrally located on Snaefellsnes Peninsula. It includes a chain of small, basaltic cinder cones. Part of the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB).
The last eruption of Lysuhóll is not dated.
The Mývatn fires were a series of fires at Krafla that raged from 1724 to 1729. Lava flowed into Mývatn and the explosive crater VÃÂti at Krafla was formed.
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Nýey, was a small, uninhabited island that formed in 1783 due to an underwater eruption in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge southwest of Reykjanes, Iceland. It disappeared within a year. The tiny skerry called Eldeyjarboði may be its remnants. (Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Nýey 1783,
ÃÂræfajökull is an ice-covered active volcano within the Vatnajökull National Park. (Part of the ÃÂræfajökull volcanic belt (OVB)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: ÃÂræfajökull 1357, ÃÂræfajökull 1727
Prestahnúkur is a volcano in the Central Highlands, a part of the Langjökull glacier. It consists of rhyolite and has a small magma chamber. (Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Prestahnúkur 3350 BCE (?),
The Reykjanes Volcanic System is one of the volcanic systems on Reykjanes Peninsula, and consists of (volcanic and tectonic) fissures and faults directed mostly NEâÂÂSW. It is part of Reykjanes Volcanic Belt like the 3âÂÂ6 (depending on author) other volcanic systems on Reykjanes Peninsula. No volcanic eruption had occurred for 815 years on the Peninsula until 19 March 2021, when a fissure vent appeared in Geldingadalir to the south of Fagradalsfjall mountain. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ). See Fagradalsfjall in index.
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Reykjanes peninsula 1206, Fagradalsfjall 2021, Fagradalsfjall 2022, Fagradalsfjall 2023
Snæfell, at high, is the tallest subaerial stratovolcano in Iceland. Located in the north-east part of Vatnajökull National Park, it has been dormant in the Holocene, but is known to have had repose times of over 100,000 years between eruptions. (Part of the ÃÂræfajökull volcanic belt (OVB)).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Snæfellsjökull is a 700,000-year-old stratovolcano. The only large central volcano on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula, it has many pyroclastic cones on its flanks, plus upper-flank craters and lower-flank basaltic lava flows. Several Holocene eruptions have originated from the summit crater and have produced felsic material. (Part of the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB))
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Snæfellsjökull 700,000, Snæfellsjökull circa 50-350 CE
Stóra-Eldborg undir GeitahlÃÂð.
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Stóra-Eldborg undir GeitahlÃÂð 400BC
Current/ongoing event â See 2023âÂÂ2025 Sundhnúkur eruptions
Sundhnúkur is near Grindavik on the Reykjanes peninsula. No volcanic eruption had occurred for 815 years on the Reykjanes Peninsula until 19 March 2021. See Fagradalsfjall index) Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Sundhnúkur 2023, Sundhnúkur 2023.12.18, Sundhnúkur 2024.01.14, Sundhnúkur 2024.02.08, Sundhnúkur 2024.03.16,Sundhnúkur 2024.05.29, Sundhnúkur 2024.08.22
Surtsey is a volcanic island located in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off the southern coast. It was formed in a volcanic eruption which began below sea level, and reached the surface on 14 November 1963. The eruption lasted until 5 June 1967, when the island reached its maximum size of . The most recent survey (2007) shows the island's maximum elevation at above sea level. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Surtsey 1963
Theistareykjarbunga (ÃÂeistareykjarbunga); Part of the North volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Theistareykjarbunga 9500 BC, Theistareykjarbunga 6800 BC, Theistareykjarbunga 900 BC
ÃÂingvellir is notable for its tectonic and volcanic environment in a rift valley. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge passes across the ÃÂingvellir National Park. The continental drift between the North American and Eurasian Plates can be clearly seen in the cracks or faults and rifts which traverse the region. The largest, , is a significant canyon. Earthquakes are frequent in the area.
See Chronology of Eruptions below: ÃÂjórsá Lava 6700BC, Thjórsá Lava 6700BC
ÃÂórðarhyrna is one of seven subglacial volcanoes beneath the Vatnajokull glacier in Iceland. There is a mechanical interaction between Thordarhyrna and Grimsvötn, despite these volcanoes being relatively far apart. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Thórðarhyrna 3550 BC ñ 500, Thórðarhyrna 1887-1889, Thórðarhyrna 1902-1904, Thórðarhyrna 1910
ÃÂórólfsfell is a basaltic tuya in southern Iceland, east of FljótshlÃÂð. The upper section is made up of pillow lavas and is 574 metres above sea level. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
ÃÂrándarjökull is a small glacier in eastern Iceland, from Vatnajökull glacier. It has an elevation of . Part of the ÃÂræfajökull volcanic belt (ÃÂVB).
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
ThrÃÂhnúkagÃÂgur (Three Peaks Crater) is a dormant volcano in the volcanic system of Brennisteinsfjöll near ReykjavÃÂk, Iceland. Covering a area and a depth of , it has not erupted in the past 4000 years. It opened for tourism in 2012, the only volcano in the world where visitors can take an elevator into the magma chamber. The magma that would normally fill the chamber and become sealed is believed to have drained away, revealing the rift beneath the surface. Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: ThrÃÂhnúkagÃÂgur 4,000 BP
Tindfjallajökull is a stratovolcano in the south of Iceland. It has erupted rocks of basaltic to rhyolitic composition, and a 5-kilometre-wide caldera was formed during the eruption of the 54,000-year-old Thórsmörk Ignimbrite. It is capped by a glacier of . Its highest peak is ÃÂmir.
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Tindfjallajökull 54,000
Tjörnes Fracture Zone is a submarine volcano situated northeast of Iceland, between the fjords of ÃÂxarfjörður and Skjálfandi. It is a series of underwater fissure vents that last erupted from 1867 to 1868. The Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ) connects the North Volcanic Zone to the Kolbeinsey Ridge (KR), which is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It contains its own volcanic systems, which are smaller than those in the Mid-Iceland Belt. It is one of two major and active transform faults zones striking west-northwest in northern and southern Iceland. The Tjörnes and Reykjanes Fracture Zones are found striking about 75ðN to 80ðW.
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Tjörnes Fracture Zone 1867-68
Tjörnes is a peninsula situated at the northeast of Iceland, between the fjords of ÃÂxarfjörður and Skjálfandi. Its sedimentary rock is known for its rich fossil record from 23 to 2.6 million years ago (i.e. non-volcanic rock from the Miocene and Pliocene eras).
Torfajökull is a rhyolitic stratovolcano, caldera (central volcano), and complex of subglacial volcanoes, located north of Mýrdalsjökull. The 1477 eruption created the largest area of silicic extrusive rocks in Iceland. The 870 eruption, a combined bimodal eruption (rhyolite-basalt) with additional engagement of the Bárðarbunga-Veiðivötn volcanic system, has left a thin layer of easily recognized mixed tephra all over Iceland (Landnámslag). This layer makes it possible to determine the exact dates of many archaeological finds by so-called tephrochronology, like in the ReykjavÃÂk 871ñ2 museum.
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Torfajökull 870, Torfajökull 1477
Trölladyngja, situated in the ÃÂdáðahraun lava field, is the biggest Icelandic shield volcano, with a height of and rising almost 600 metres above the surrounding desert and lava fields. It is about 10 kilometres in diameter. Its oblong crater is about 1,200 to 1,500 metres in length, 500 metres broad, and about 100 metres deep. Most of its lava fields have flowed in a northerly direction, with one branch of it reaching the valley of Bárðardalur, a distance of roughly 100 km. It is not to be confused with the KrýsuvÃÂk-Trölladyngja volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula. (Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Trölladyngja 1961, (Note : there are claims (Trölladyngja) that the last eruption was 5,000 years ago.)
Tungnafellsjökull is a glacier and volcano in Iceland. It has an elevation of and is located northwest of Vatnajökull glacier. (Part of the Mid-Iceland Belt (MIB))
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Vatnafjöll is a basaltic fissure vent system. It is part of the same system as Hekla. More than two dozen eruptions have occurred at Vatnafjöll during the Holocene Epoch. (Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Vatnafjöll 800
Vatnajökull ("Glacier of Lakes", "Vatna Glacier") is the largest and most voluminous ice cap in Iceland. It is in the south-east of the island, covering approximately 10% of the country. The Vatnajökull glacier embraces seven identified subglacial volcanoes, of which the best-known are GrÃÂmsvötn, Bárðarbunga, and ÃÂraefajökull. (See GrÃÂmsvötn index, Bárðarbunga index, Herðubreið index, Holuhraun index, Kverkfjöll index, Laki index, Loki-Fögrufjöll index, ÃÂræfajökull index and Thordarhyrna index.) Vatnajökull glacier is part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Vatnajökull 900, Vatnajökull 905, Vatnajökull 940, Vatnajökull 1060, Vatnajökull 1160, Vatnajökull 1332, Vatnajökull 1477, 1480, 1655, 1681, 1702, 1706, 1716, 1717, 1725, 1766, 1823, 1872, 1876, 1985, 1996
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Vatnaöldur 870;
Veiðivötn; Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Veiðivötn 6700BC;; Veiðivötn 1200BC; Veiðivötn 940, Veiðivötn 1477.
See: Veiðivötn image in Gallery.
Vestmannaeyjar is in the Westman Islands, an archipelago off the south coast. The largest island is Heimaey. Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ).
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Stórhöfði peninsula 6,000 BP, Helgafell (volcano) 3,000 BC, Surtsey 1963, Jólnir 1963, Eldfell 1973
Viðey (caldera) is at ReykjavÃÂk. About two million years ago during the Pleistocene, Viðey was an active volcano with a massive caldera. The remains of the caldera are much larger than the modern island itself, with the island near the caldera's center. The rest of the caldera underlies a large part of what is now Kollafjörður. The underwater eruption that formed Viðey island stopped circa 9,000 years ago. (Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))
See Chronology of Eruptions below: Viðey 2,600,000-9,000
Westfjords is a large peninsula in northwestern Iceland, a remnant of the North Atlantic Igneous Province.
See Chronology of Eruptions below:
Dates are approximate. Please see individual articles that may have more date detail.
Dates are approximate. (Note: First Norse settlers arrived in 870/874.) Please see individual articles that may have more date detail.
(For a detail description of the volcanic zones. See : Geological deformation of Iceland)
Iceland has several major volcanic zones surrounding the Iceland hotspot:
The East Volcanic Zone (EVZ), the central volcanoes Vonarskarð and Hágöngur, belong to the same volcanic system. The southern propagating rift region of the EVZ with more tendency to explosive eruption characteristics is known as the Southern Iceland Volcanic Zone (SIVZ).
Includes: Bárðarbunga, Bláhnjúkur, Brennisteinsalda, Eldgjá, Eyjafjallajökull, Gjálp, GrÃÂmsvötn, central volcano Hágöngur (), Hekla, Katla, Lakagigar, Laki, ÃÂjórsá Lava, ÃÂórólfsfell, Surtsey, Thordarhyrna (ÃÂórðarhyrna), Tindfjallajökull, Torfajökull, Vatnafjöll, several volcanoes in Vatnajökull, Vatnaöldur, Vestmannaeyjar (Westman Islands), central volcano Vonarskarð.
The Kolbeinsey Ridge is a segment of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge located to the north of Iceland in the Arctic Ocean. It is bounded to the south by the Tjörnes Fracture Zone, which connects the submarine ridge to the on-shore Northern Volcanic Zone rifting center in eastern Iceland. The volcanic islands Kolbeinsey and GrÃÂmsey lie along the Kolbeinsey Ridge.
The Mid-Iceland belt (MIB) connects the East, West and North volcanic zones, across central Iceland.
North of Iceland, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is called Kolbeinsey Ridge (KR) and is connected to the North Volcanic Zone via the Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ).
Includes: Askja, Dimmuborgir, Fremrinámur, Herðubreið, Hverfjall, Kollóttadyngja, Krafla, Kverkfjöll, many volcanoes in the Mývatn district, Rauðhólar, Theistareykjarbunga, Trölladyngja
The ÃÂræfajökull volcanic belt (ÃÂVB, also ÃÂræfi volcanic belt) is an intraplate volcanic belt, connected to the Eurasian plate.
Includes: ÃÂræfajökull
The Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ or Reykjanes volcanic belt, RVB) contains multiple fissure vent orientated volcanic systems including one with a similar name. It is the continuation of the Reykjanes Ridge (RR) (the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of Iceland and intersects to its north-east at Hengill with the WVZ and the South Iceland seismic zone (SISZ, also known as the Reykjanes fracture zone, RFZ).
Includes: Bláfjöll, Brennisteinsfjöll, Búrfell (Hafnarfjörður), Eldborg àBláfjöllum, EldvörpâÂÂSvartsengi, Fagradalsfjall, Heiðin há, Helgafell (Hafnarfjörður), Hengill (also listed under WVZ), Keilir, KrýsuvÃÂk (volcanic system), KrýsuvÃÂk fires, Leitin, Rauðhólar (ReykjavÃÂk), Reykjanes volcanic system, Stóra-Eldborg undir GeitahlÃÂð, Svartsengi Power Station, Sveifluháls, VÃÂfilsfell, ÃÂorbjörn (mountain)
The Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB) is an intraplate volcanic belt, connected to the North American plate.
It is proposed that the eastâÂÂwest line from the GrÃÂmsvötn volcano in the Mid-Iceland Belt (MIB) to the SVB shows the movement of the North American Plate over the Iceland hotspot.
Includes: Snæfellsjökull and smaller volcanoes on Snæfellsnes, plus Helgafell.
The South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ) is a fracture zone, which connects the East and West Volcanic Zones. It contains its own volcanic systems, smaller than those in the Mid-Iceland Belt. The SISZ is a set of major and active transform faults striking west-northwest in southwestern Iceland, being one of two large fracture zones, associated with such transform faults, striking about 75ðN to 80ðW, the other being the Tjörnes Fracture Zone.
Includes: The towns of Selfoss, VÃÂk, Hvolsvöllur and probably ÃÂingvellir the old meeting place of the Alþing.
The Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ) connects the North Volcanic Zone to the Kolbeinsey Ridge (KR), which is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It contains its own volcanic systems, which are smaller than those in the Mid-Iceland Belt.
It is one of two major and active transform faults zones striking west-northwest in northern and southern Iceland. The Tjörnes and Reykjanes Fracture Zones are found striking about 75ðN to 80ðW.
Includes: Geitlandsjökull, Geysir, Hengill (also listed under RFZ), Hlöðufell, Hveravellir, Skjaldbreiður, Stóra-Björnsfell, ÃÂórisjökull.
GrÃÂmsvötn, including the Skaftá eruption of 1783, is probably the most eruptive volcano system. The LakagÃÂgar lava field alone is estimated to have produced about of lava. GrÃÂmsvötn has probably had more than 30 eruptions in the last 400 years, and produced around over the last 10,000 years. (Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ)) See GrÃÂmsvötn index above.
Katla has erupted 17 times in historical times, and Eldgjá seems to be part of the same system. The total volume of volcanic eruptions from Katla over the last 10,000 years is very similar to GrÃÂmsvötn. (Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ)). See Katla index above.
Hekla has erupted at least 17 times in historical times, with total volume about , but around since the last ice age. (Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ)). See Hekla index above.