Vatnaöldur () is the name of a series of craters in the

Suðurland Southern Region ( , ) is a region of 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 an ...

region of

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 ...

. They are located in the

Highlands of Iceland The Highland (Icelandic language, Icelandic: ''Hálendið)'' or The Central Highland is an area that comprises much of the interior land of Iceland. The Highland is situated above and is mostly uninhabitable. The soil is primarily volcanic as ...

, north–west of the

Veiðivötn Veiðivötn (, "fishing lakes") is a volcano, volcanic lake region in the Highlands of Iceland, Highlands of central Iceland, where approximately 50 lakes fill two rows of fissure vents. Geologically, Veiðivötn is part of the Bárðarbunga vo ...

and north–east of

Landmannalaugar Landmannalaugar () is a location in Iceland's Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands. It is on the edge of the Laugahraun lava field. This lava field was formed by an eruption in approximately 1477. It is largely known for its natural ...

, within the municipality of

Rangárþing ytra Rangárþing ytra (, ) is a municipality located in southern Iceland. Its major industries include tourism and agriculture. Rangárþing ytra was created 9 June 2002, when three municipalities, Rangárvallahreppur, Holta- og Landsveit and Djúpárh ...

. It is part of the Eastern volcanic zone (EVZ). The craters were formed during a series of eruptions associated with a

basalt Basalt (; ) is an aphanite, aphanitic (fine-grained) extrusive igneous rock formed from the rapid cooling of low-viscosity lava rich in magnesium and iron (mafic lava) exposed at or very near the planetary surface, surface of a terrestrial ...

ic dyke intrusion from the volcanic system of

Bárðarbunga Bárðarbunga (, alternative name Veiðivötn), is an active and productive stratovolcano located under Vatnajökull in Vatnajökull National Park which is Iceland's most extensive glacier. The second highest mountain in Iceland, above sea le ...

around the year 877. These eruptions, like those of the neighbouring

, were from about (or ) long volcanic fissures within the area of a lake. The mainly explosive eruptions emitted of

tholeiite basalt The tholeiitic magma series () is one of two main magma series in subalkaline igneous rocks, the other being the calc-alkaline series. A magma series is a chemically distinct range of magma compositions that describes the evolution of a mafic ...

.G. Larsen, Thor Thordarson: Phreatomagmatism in the Eastern Volcanic Zone; 25 July 2010Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program - Vatnaöldur
/ref> There was an associated

rhyolite Rhyolite ( ) is the most silica-rich of volcanic rocks. It is generally glassy or fine-grained (aphanitic) in texture (geology), texture, but may be porphyritic, containing larger mineral crystals (phenocrysts) in an otherwise fine-grained matri ...

eruption near

Torfajökull Torfajökull ( Icelandic for "Torfi's glacier"; ) is a rhyolitic stratovolcano, with a large caldera (central volcano) capped by a glacier of the same name and associated with a complex of subglacial volcanoes. Torfajökull last erupted in 1477 an ...

triggered by the intrusion. The associated

tephra Tephra is fragmental material produced by a Volcano, volcanic eruption regardless of composition, fragment size, or emplacement mechanism. Volcanologists also refer to airborne fragments as pyroclasts. Once clasts have fallen to the ground, ...

layer is called the Settlement layer, and covers more than half of Iceland’s land surface.

Notes

References

Sources

* G. Larsen, Thor Thordarson: Phreatomagmatism in the Eastern Volcanic Zone; Retrieved July 25, 2010 * Commentary by volcanologist Haraldur Sigurðsson on Bárðarbunga and Vatnaöldur eruptions (Icelandic)
Vatnaöldur. The Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution

Vulkanology
by

Haraldur Sigurðsson Haraldur Sigurðsson or Haraldur Sigurdsson (born May 31, 1939) is an Icelandic volcanologist and geochemist. Education Sigurdsson was born in Stykkishólmur in western Iceland. He studied geology and geochemistry in the United Kingdom, where ...

on Bárðarbunga and Vatnaöldur Eruptions (Isländish)
Faculty of Earth Sciences - University of Iceland 2013. Gravity studies of the structure of the Vatnaöldur and Veiðivötn crater rows, South Central Iceland. Jeanne M. Giniaux
{{DEFAULTSORT:Vatnaoldur Bárðarbunga Central volcanoes of Iceland East Volcanic Zone of Iceland VEI-5 volcanoes Volcanic systems of Iceland

See also

Notes

References

Sources