Iceland Volcanoes

 

Iceland, a land forged by fire and ice, owes its existence to a unique geological setting. Straddling the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates diverge, Iceland sits atop a mantle plume – a persistent upwelling of abnormally hot material from the Earth’s interior. This combination of tectonic spreading and a vigorous mantle plume results in prolific magma generation, shaping Iceland’s extraordinary volcanic landscape.

Iceland’s volcanic scenery is astonishingly diverse. Majestic stratovolcanoes, like the ice-capped Öræfajökull and the subglacial Katla, coexist with vast shield volcanoes like Bárðarbunga. Extensive fissure systems cut across the landscape, spewing forth voluminous lava flows, creating otherworldly landscapes. Eruptions beneath glaciers often trigger jökulhlaups, catastrophic glacial outburst floods, further sculpting the terrain.

• Eyjafjallajökull Volcano
• Katla Volcano
• Reykjanes Peninsula