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Þórisvatn
Þórisvatn (; sometimes anglicized to Thorisvatn) is the largest lake of Iceland, situated at the south end of the Sprengisandur plateau within the highlands of Iceland. It is a reservoir with a surface area of about and is fed by the river Þjórsá, which comes down from the glacier Hofsjökull. On its southern end, Þórisvatn is used to generate electricity at a power station. It is like other Icelandic lakes, which are mostly glacial lakes or volcanic lakes. The lake grew from about 70 km2 to 86 km2 with the construction of the power station and was previously only the second largest lake in the country. See also *List of lakes of Iceland *Geography of Iceland Iceland is an island country at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, Arctic oceans, east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle, atop the constructive boundary of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridg ... References External linksPhoto Highlands of Iceland ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Lakes Of Iceland
Iceland has over 20 lakes larger than 10 km2 (4 sq mi), and at least 40 others varying between 2.5 and 10 km2 (1 to 4 sq mi) in size. This list also includes a few smaller lakes and ponds that are considered notable (for example Tjörnin in Reykjavik). The figures for many of the smaller lakes are unreliable. Also, some larger lakes vary considerably in size between years or seasons or, for the reservoirs, according to the needs of power plants. Some power plant reservoirs may not be present despite being larger than listed lakes. Larger lakes (>10 km2) Smaller lakes (90 m (sensitive to climatic and geological change and was getting smaller - started recovering again in 2004) * Breiðárlón Breiðárlón () is a glacier lake at the south end of the Icelandic glacier Vatnajökull. Formed at the terminus of one of Vatnajökull's biggest outlets, Breiðamerkurjökull, Breiðárlón lies in between Fjallsárlón and Jökulsárlón gla ..., 8 km2 * Reyðarvatn, 8.3 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 region's westernmost and most list of countries and dependencies by population density, sparsely populated country. Its Capital city, capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which is home to about 36% of the country's roughly 380,000 residents (excluding nearby towns/suburbs, which are separate municipalities). The official language of the country is Icelandic language, Icelandic. Iceland is on a rift between Plate tectonics, tectonic plates, and its geologic activity includes geysers and frequent Types of volcanic eruptions, volcanic eruptions. The interior consists of a volcanic plateau with sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, and many Glacial stream, glacial rivers flow to the sea through the Upland and lowland, lowlands. Iceland i ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Lakes Of Iceland
Iceland has over 20 lakes larger than 10 km2 (4 sq mi), and at least 40 others varying between 2.5 and 10 km2 (1 to 4 sq mi) in size. This list also includes a few smaller lakes and ponds that are considered notable (for example Tjörnin in Reykjavik). The figures for many of the smaller lakes are unreliable. Also, some larger lakes vary considerably in size between years or seasons or, for the reservoirs, according to the needs of power plants. Some power plant reservoirs may not be present despite being larger than listed lakes. Larger lakes (>10 km2) Smaller lakes (90 m (sensitive to climatic and geological change and was getting smaller - started recovering again in 2004) * Breiðárlón, 8 km2 * Reyðarvatn, 8.3 km2 * Hítarvatn, 7.6 km2, 24 m * Miklavatn (Fljót), 7.4 km2 * Miklavatn (Borgarsveit), 6.6 km2, 23 m * Árneslón, 6.5 km2, 116 * Sigríðarstaðavatn, 6.2 km2 * Laxárvatn, 6.0 km2 * Íshólsvatn, 5.2 km2, 39 m * Úlfljótsvatn, 60 m * Langa ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Þjórsá
Þjórsá () is Iceland's longest river at . It is in the south of the island. Þjórsá is a glacier river and has its source on the glacier Hofsjökull. It flows out through narrow gorges in the highlands of Iceland. Further downstream, another river, the Tungnaá, flows into it (see also Háifoss), before it enters the lowlands. There it passes the valley of Þjórsárdalur (Thjorsardalur) where the historical farm of Stöng is located. In the lowlands it flows along the eastern border of the Great Þjórsá Lava. In the middle of the now rather wide river, there is a big island called '' Árnes'' , where there used to be a '' Þing''. The administrative unit of Árnessýsla was named after it. The '' hringvegur'' (Road No. 1) traverses the river via a bridge between Selfoss and Hella. Some distance to the southwest the river flows into the Atlantic Ocean The Atlantic Ocean is the second largest of the world's five borders of the oceans, oceanic divisions, ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sprengisandur
Sprengisandur () is a highland plateau in Iceland, defined roughly as the area between the Hofsjökull and Vatnajökull glaciers. History and etymology Like Kjölur and Kaldidalur, Sprengisandur is an ancient pass - during the time of the Icelandic Free State (ca. 930–1265) it was one of the several important north–south routes that connected remote regions of the island to the Plains of the Parliament, Þingvellir, where the yearly parliament, Alþingi, was held each year at midsummer. In the sagas of Icelanders it is often called simply ''Sandr'' "Sand" or ''Sandleið'', "Sand trail". At its southern end, it was joined with another such route, Fjallabaksvegur nyrðri, running west from Landmannalaugar mountain hot springs area. Sprengisandur is only accessible during summer - like other parts of the inner desert, it is impassable in winter because of the snow, and in spring because of floods. While being the shortest way to the Alþingi for some Icelanders, for exampl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 ash, and the terrain consists of basalt mountains and lava fields. Snow covers the Highland from October until the beginning of June. A few oasis-like areas, such as Herðubreiðarlindir and Thórsmörk, Þórsmörk, are also found in the Highland. The area has many notable natural features and hiking trails. Natural features in the Highland The Highland encompasses various geological features, including Landmannalaugar, Torfajökull, Eldgjá, Thórsmörk, Þórsmörk, Herðubreið, Askja, Hveradalir, Laki, Lakagígar, and the Fagrifoss waterfall. Sites in the Highland are difficult to access and may be accessible only during the summer months. Most sites require all-wheel drive or all-terrain vehicles for access due to the unpaved dirt ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Reservoir
A reservoir (; ) is an enlarged lake behind a dam, usually built to water storage, store fresh water, often doubling for hydroelectric power generation. Reservoirs are created by controlling a watercourse that drains an existing body of water, interrupting a watercourse to form an Bay, embayment within it, excavating, or building any number of retaining walls or levees to enclose any area to store water. Types Dammed valleys Dammed reservoirs are artificial lakes created and controlled by a dam constructed across a valley and rely on the natural topography to provide most of the basin of the reservoir. These reservoirs can either be ''on-stream reservoirs'', which are located on the original streambed of the downstream river and are filled by stream, creeks, rivers or rainwater that surface runoff, runs off the surrounding forested catchments, or ''off-stream reservoirs'', which receive water diversion, diverted water from a nearby stream or aqueduct (water supply), aq ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 distinguishing features, such as crevasses and seracs, as it slowly flows and deforms under stresses induced by its weight. As it moves, it abrades rock and debris from its substrate to create landforms such as cirques, moraines, or fjords. Although a glacier may flow into a body of water, it forms only on land“Glacier, N., Pronunciation.” Oxford English Dictionary, Oxford UP, June 2024, https://doi.org/10.1093/OED/7553486115. Accessed 25 Jan. 2025. and is distinct from the much thinner sea ice and lake ice that form on the surface of bodies of water. On Earth, 99% of glacial ice is contained within vast ice sheets (also known as "continental glaciers") in the polar regions, but glaciers may be found in mountain ranges on ever ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hofsjökull
__NOTOC__ Hofsjökull (Icelandic language, Icelandic: "temple glacier", ) is the third largest ice cap in Iceland after Vatnajökull and Langjökull and covers the largest active central volcano in the country, which has the same name. It is situated in the west of the Highlands of Iceland and north of the mountain range Kerlingarfjöll, between the two largest glaciers of Iceland. Glacier It covers an area of , with the icecap top being , and bottom being at about . There are other summits relating to the underlying volcano with two being at . Hofsjökull is the source of several rivers including the Þjórsá, Iceland's longest river. Changes While all ice caps in Iceland have been losing volume since 1995, due to high precipitation in 2015 and low ablation during the previous cool summer, the Hofsjökull ice cap increased in mass, the first time in 20 years this had happened. Between 1989 and 2015, even allowing for that last years increase, the icecap had lost about 1 ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volcano
A volcano is commonly defined as a vent or fissure in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates are diverging or converging, and because most of Earth's plate boundaries are underwater, most volcanoes are found underwater. For example, a mid-ocean ridge, such as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, has volcanoes caused by divergent tectonic plates whereas the Pacific Ring of Fire has volcanoes caused by convergent tectonic plates. Volcanoes resulting from divergent tectonic activity are usually non-explosive whereas those resulting from convergent tectonic activity cause violent eruptions."Mid-ocean ridge tectonics, volcanism and geomorphology." Geology 26, no. 455 (2001): 458. https://macdonald.faculty.geol.ucsb.edu/papers/Macdonald%20Mid-Ocean%20Ridge%20Tectonics.pdf Volcanoes can also form where there is str ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Geography Of Iceland
Iceland is an island country at the confluence of the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Ocean, Arctic oceans, east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle, atop the constructive boundary of the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The island country is the world's List of islands by area#Islands, 18th largest in area and one of the most List of sovereign states and dependent territories by population density, sparsely populated. It is the westernmost European country when not including Greenland and has more land covered by glaciers than continental Europe. Its total size is and possesses an exclusive economic zone of . Statistics Iceland is an island country in Northern Europe, straddling the Eurasian and North American plates between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, northwest of the British Isles. Extent (locations outside mainland in parentheses) :North: Rifstangi, 66°32′3" N (Kolbeinsey, 67°08,9 N) :South: Kötlutangi, 63°23′6" N ( ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 ash, and the terrain consists of basalt mountains and lava fields. Snow covers the Highland from October until the beginning of June. A few oasis-like areas, such as Herðubreiðarlindir and Thórsmörk, Þórsmörk, are also found in the Highland. The area has many notable natural features and hiking trails. Natural features in the Highland The Highland encompasses various geological features, including Landmannalaugar, Torfajökull, Eldgjá, Thórsmörk, Þórsmörk, Herðubreið, Askja, Hveradalir, Laki, Lakagígar, and the Fagrifoss waterfall. Sites in the Highland are difficult to access and may be accessible only during the summer months. Most sites require all-wheel drive or all-terrain vehicles for access due to the unpaved dirt ro ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
