Dettifoss () is a
waterfall
A waterfall is any point in a river or stream where water flows over a vertical drop or a series of steep drops. Waterfalls also occur where meltwater drops over the edge
of a tabular iceberg or ice shelf.
Waterfalls can be formed in seve ...
in
Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast
Iceland
Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...
, and is reputed to be the second most powerful waterfall in Europe after the
Rhine Falls.
Dettifoss is situated on the
Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the
Vatnajökull glacier
A glacier (; or ) is a persistent body of dense ice, a form of rock, that is constantly moving downhill under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires ...
and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The sediment-rich runoff colours the water a greyish white.
The falls are wide and have a drop of down to the canyon
Jökulsárgljúfur.
Dettifoss – the most powerful waterfall in all of Europe
Atlas Obscura, 28 October 2016 It is the second largest waterfall in Iceland in terms of volume discharge (behind the Urriðafoss), having an average water flow of 193 m³/ s. The superlative of "most powerful" comes from its water flow multiplied by its fall distance.
Tourist access
Dettifoss is served on its west side by Route 862, a tarmac road built in 2011. Road 862 gives access to Dettifoss in all seasons more and less, while an older gravel road
A gravel road is a type of unpaved road surfaced with gravel that has been brought to the site from a quarry or stream bed. Gravel roads are common in less-developed nations, and also in the rural areas of developed nations such as Canada and ...
(Route 864) serves the east side and is usually passable in summer only.
On the west bank there are minimal facilities, including a pit toilet, maintained hiking path and a view-platform. On the east bank there is an information panel maintained by the staff of Vatnajökull National Park ('), a public toilet, and a trail to the waterfall.
Dettifoss is located on the Diamond Circle, a popular tourist route around Húsavík
Húsavík () is a town in Norðurþing municipality on the northeast coast of Iceland on the shores of Skjálfandi bay with 2,485 inhabitants. The most famous landmark of the town is the wooden church Húsavíkurkirkja, built in 1907. Húsav� ...
and Lake Mývatn in North Iceland.
In media
The musical composition "Dettifoss" (Op. 57) by Jón Leifs is inspired by this waterfall.
The waterfall is featured in the 2012 science-fiction
Science fiction (often shortened to sci-fi or abbreviated SF) is a genre of speculative fiction that deals with imaginative and futuristic concepts. These concepts may include information technology and robotics, biological manipulations, sp ...
film ''Prometheus
In Greek mythology, Prometheus (; , , possibly meaning "forethought")Smith"Prometheus". is a Titans, Titan. He is best known for defying the Olympian gods by taking theft of fire, fire from them and giving it to humanity in the form of technol ...
'', standing in as landscape on a primordial Earth-like planet.
See also
* List of waterfalls
This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it is at least tall and has an existing Wikipedia article, or it is considered historically sig ...
* Waterfalls of Iceland
References
*Leffman, David; and Proctor, James (2004). ''The Rough Guide To Iceland'', Rough Guides, 281. .
External links
*
Dettifoss on FlickrDettifoss on YouTube
{{Authority control
Waterfalls of Iceland
North Volcanic Zone of Iceland