This is an incomplete list of

volcanic eruptions Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often ...

Iceland Iceland ( is, Ísland; ) is a Nordic island country in the North Atlantic Ocean and in the Arctic Ocean. Iceland is the most sparsely populated country in Europe. Iceland's capital and largest city is Reykjavík, which (along with its s ...

Bárðarbunga Volcano, September 4 2014 - 15145866372

Snæfellsjökull in the Morning (7622876302)

Prehistoric eruptions

''Dates are approximate.'' * 16,000,000 years ago - the oldest known rock in Iceland was formed in a lava eruption. The age of the basaltic strata from west to east is 16–10 million years.Denk, Thomas; Grímsson, Friðgeir; Zetter, Reinhard; Símonarson, Leifur (2011-02-23), ''Introduction to the Nature and Geology of Iceland'', 35, retrieved 2018-10-16 (See Geology of Iceland - Origins) * Circa 3,200,000-1,800,000 years ago ( Plio-

Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (geology), epoch that lasted from about 2,580,000 to 11,700 years ago, spanning the Earth's most recent period of repeated glaciations. Before a change was fina ...

) -

Esjan Esja, in Icelandic called Esjan, which means "the Esja" (), is a mountain situated in the south-west of Iceland, about ten kilometres north of Iceland's capital city Reykjavík. Esja is not a single mountain, but a volcanic mountain range, mad ...

(

Esja Esja, in Icelandic called Esjan, which means "the Esja" (), is a mountain situated in the south-west of Iceland, about ten kilometres north of Iceland's capital city Reykjavík. Esja is not a single mountain, but a volcanic mountain range, mad ...

) - The western part is about 3.2 million years and the eastern part is about 1.8 million years. The movements of the

plate boundaries Plate tectonics (from the la, label=Late Latin, tectonicus, from the grc, τεκτονικός, lit=pertaining to building) is the generally accepted scientific theory that considers the Earth's lithosphere to comprise a number of large te ...

are continually moving the

strata In geology and related fields, a stratum ( : strata) is a layer of rock or sediment characterized by certain lithologic properties or attributes that distinguish it from adjacent layers from which it is separated by visible surfaces known as ei ...

to the west and away from the active volcanic zone.Hvernig myndaðist Esjan?
Vísindavefurinn, 9 December 2008 (in Icelandic) Two volcanoes were active in the Reykjavík region, Viðey volcano and Stardals volcano. They partially formed

(

); the smaller mountains near Reykjavík; plus the islands and small peninsulas like

Viðey Viðey (; sometimes anglicised as Videy) is the largest island of the Kollafjörður Bay in Iceland, near the capital of Reykjavík. Overview The island covers ; its highest point is above sea level. The island is divided by a narrow piece of ...

and

Kjalarnes Kjalarnes () is the least populous district in the municipality of Reykjavík, the capital of Iceland, with a population of around 600 inhabitants. Overview Kjalarnes was an independent municipality, until it joined Reykjavík in 1998. It takes a ...

.Freyr Pálsson: ''Jarðfræði Reykjavíkursvæðisins.'' Háskóla Íslands, Raunvísindadeild, Jarð- og landfræðiskor. (2007) ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 2,600,000-9,000 years ago -

(

caldera A caldera ( ) is a large cauldron-like hollow that forms shortly after the emptying of a magma chamber in a volcano eruption. When large volumes of magma are erupted over a short time, structural support for the rock above the magma chamber is ...

), at

Reykjavík Reykjavík ( ; ) is the capital and largest city of Iceland. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói bay. Its latitude is 64°08' N, making it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. With a po ...

. The underwater eruption that formed Viðey island stopped circa 9,000 years ago. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 2,500,000-11,000 years ago.

Grensdalur Grensdalur () is a volcano in Iceland. The elevation is about 497 m (1631 ft). Its position is 64.02°N 21.17°W. It was active during Pleistocene The Pleistocene ( , often referred to as the ''Ice age'') is the geological Epoch (ge ...

, currently dormant, inactive since the

era. ''(Part of the West volcanic zone (WVZ))'' * 2,500,000-11,000 years ago.

Keilir Keilir – Atlantic Centre of Excellence ( Icelandic: ''Keilir, miðstöð vísinda, fræða og atvinnulífs'') is a private, non-profit, international educational institution located in Ásbrú next to Keflavik International Airport in the ci ...

was formed during a subglacial

fissure eruption A fissure vent, also known as a volcanic fissure, eruption fissure or simply a fissure, is a linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts, usually without any explosive activity. The vent is often a few metres wide and may be many kilom ...

which thawed the ice and formed a subglacial lake, and caused explosive activity. Ice thickness and more exact time of eruption are not known, just that it took place during the

(

Weichselian The Weichselian glaciation was the last glacial period and its associated glaciation in northern parts of Europe. In the Alpine region it corresponds to the Würm glaciation. It was characterized by a large ice sheet (the Fenno-Scandian ice sheet) ...

).Snæbjörn Guðmundsson: ''Vegavísir um jarðfræði Íslands.'' Reykjavík 2015, p. 22-23Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, Pétur Þorsteinsson: ''Íslensk fjöll. Gönguleiðir á 152 tind.'' Reykjavík 2004, p. 156-157 ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * Circa 700,000 years ago-

Snæfellsjökull Snæfellsjökull (, ''snow-fell glacier'') is a 700,000-year-old glacier-capped stratovolcano in western Iceland. It is situated on the westernmost part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in Iceland. Sometimes it may be seen from the city of Reykjaví ...

stratovolcano A stratovolcano, also known as a composite volcano, is a conical volcano built up by many layers (strata) of hardened lava and tephra. Unlike shield volcanoes, stratovolcanoes are characterized by a steep profile with a summit crater and per ...

on the

Snæfellsnes Peninsula The Snæfellsnes () is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western Iceland. The Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland, can be found in the area. With its height of 1446 m, it is the highest m ...

. ''(Part of the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB))'' * 400,000-500,000 years ago -

Ingólfsfjall Ingólfsfjall () is a tuya in Iceland in the vicinity of Hveragerði. Name The name is derived from Iceland's official first settler, Ingólfur Arnarson. The Medieval Landnámabók says that he passed here his third winter in Iceland after ...

, The main volcanic bulk is about 400-500 000 years old. ''(Part of the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ))'' * 100,000 years ago -

, volcanic cone on the

Reykjanes peninsula Southern Peninsula ( is, Suðurnes ) is an administrative unit and part of Reykjanesskagi (pronounced ), or Reykjanes Peninsula, a region in southwest Iceland. It was named after Reykjanes, the southwestern tip of Reykjanesskagi. The region ha ...

, in the

Krýsuvík (volcanic system) The volcanic system of Krýsuvík (or Krísuvík, both pronounced in Icelandic), also Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja volcanic system, is situated in the southwest of Iceland on the Reykjanes peninsula. It is located in the middle of Reykja ...

. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 54,000 years ago -

Tindfjallajökull Tindfjallajökull () is a stratovolcano in the south of Iceland. It has erupted rocks of basaltic to rhyolitic composition, and a 5-km-wide caldera was formed during the eruption of the 54,000-year-old Thórsmörk Ignimbrite. It is capped by a gla ...

, (

), a -wide

was formed during

Thórsmörk Thórsmörk ( is, Þórsmörk, ) is a mountain ridge in Iceland that was named after the Norse god Thor (Þór). It is situated in the south of Iceland between the glaciers Tindfjallajökull and Eyjafjallajökull. The name "Thórsmörk" properly ...

(

ignimbrite Ignimbrite is a type of volcanic rock, consisting of hardened tuff. Ignimbrites form from the deposits of pyroclastic flows, which are a hot suspension of particles and gases flowing rapidly from a volcano, driven by being denser than the surrou ...

) eruption. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 42,000-12,400 years ago -

Sveifluháls Sveifluháls () is a mafic hyaloclastite ridge of 397 m height in the southwest of Iceland in Gullbringusýsla (Reykjanes Peninsula). It is part of Krýsuvík volcanic system and of the protected area Reykjanes Fólkvangur. Geography The mo ...

, volcanic melting of glacier ice induced the formation of one or more subglacial meltwater lakes. Dropping overburden pressures lead to the eruption of vitric

phreatomagmatic Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions cont ...

tuff Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption. Following ejection and deposition, the ash is lithified into a solid rock. Rock that contains greater than 75% ash is considered tuff, while rock cont ...

.Emily Constantine Mercurio: ''Processes, Products and Depositional Environments of Ice-Confined Basaltic Fissure Eruptions: A Case Study of the Sveifluháls Volcanic Complex, SW Iceland.'' University of Pittsburgh. (2011)
Retrieved 26 August 2020. * 11,000 years ago - Askja-S.

Tephra Tephra is fragmental material produced by a 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, they rem ...

found in

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

Northern Ireland Northern Ireland ( ga, Tuaisceart Éireann ; sco, label= Ulster-Scots, Norlin Airlann) is a part of the United Kingdom, situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, that is variously described as a country, province or region. Nort ...

, and

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * Circa 10,600 years ago - Katla. It is thought that Katla is the source of more than of

tephra Tephra is fragmental material produced by a 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, they rem ...

'Vedde Ash' found at a number of sites including Vedde in Norway, Denmark, Scotland and North Atlantic cores. * Circa 9,500 BC

Theistareykjarbunga Theistareykjarbunga (Þeistareykjarbunga, ) is a shield volcano in northeastern Iceland with two fissure vents called Þeistareykjahraun and Borgahraun , and two cones: the 370-metre Stórahversmór and the 540-metre-high, 30-km3 Stóravíti . T ...

( Þeistareykjarbunga). The first of three dated eruptions, produced approximately 18 billion cubic metres of basaltic lava. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * circa 9,000 years ago -

Skjaldbreiður Skjaldbreiður (, "broad shield") is an Icelandic lava shield formed in one huge and protracted eruption roughly 9,500 years ago. The extensive lava fields which were produced by this eruption, flowed southwards, and formed the basin of Þi ...

lava shield formed in one huge and protracted eruption. The lava flowed south and formed the basin of

Þingvallavatn Þingvallavatn (), anglicised as Thingvallavatn,The spelling ''Pingvallavatn'' is wrong as the letter “p” should never be used to represent the letter “þ” (thorn). is a rift valley lake in southwestern Iceland. With a surface of 84 km² ...

, Iceland's largest lake. * 8230 BC -

Grímsvötn Grímsvötn (; ''vötn'' = "waters", singular: ) is a volcano with a (partially subglacial) fissure system located in Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. The volcano itself is completely subglacial and located under the northwestern side of the Va ...

The eruption was VEI 6, producing some of

, resulting in the

Saksunarvatn tephra In the science of tephrochronology, the Saksunarvatn tephra is volcanic ejecta that formed an ash layer that is useful in dating Northern European sediment layers that were laid down during the Boreal period, the warm climate phase that followed th ...

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * Circa 6,800 BC

( Þeistareykjarbunga). The second of three dated eruptions. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 6700 BC. - the "Great

Þjórsá Lava The Great Þjórsá Lava ( Icelandic: ''Þjórsárhraunið mikla'' ) is the largest lava flow in Iceland (by both area and volume) and the largest lava that is known to have erupted in a single eruption in the Holocene. It belongs to a group of lav ...

flow", the largest known effusive eruption in Iceland in the last 10,000 years, originated from the

Veiðivötn Veiðivötn (, "fishing lakes") is a volcanic lake region in the Highlands of central Iceland, where approximately 50 lakes fill two rows of fissure vents. Geologically, Veiðivötn is part of the Bárðarbunga volcanic system. In 6600 B.C. ...

( :is:Veiðivötn) area. The Þjórsá lava field is up to in area and flowed over to the sea and forms the coast between

Þjórsá Þjórsá () is Iceland's longest river at 230 kilometers (about 143 miles). 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 Ic ...

and

Ölfusá The Ölfusá () is a river in Iceland. It begins at the junction between the Hvítá and Sog rivers, just north of the town of Selfoss, and flows for 25 km into the Atlantic ocean. It is Iceland's largest river by volume with an average ...

.Árni Hjartarson 1988: „Þjórsárhraunið mikla - stærsta nútímahraun jarðar“. ''Náttúrufræðingurinn'' 58: 1-16.Árni Hjartarson 1994: „Environmental changes in Iceland following the Great Þjórsá Lava Eruption 7800 14C years BP“. In: J. Stötter og F. Wilhelm (ed.) ''Environmental Change in Iceland'' (Munchen): 147-155. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * Circa 5,800 BC -

Hveravellir Hveravellir () is a geothermal field (high temperature field) of the Oddnýjarhnjúkur-Langjökull subglacial volcanic system in the north of Langjökull glacier. Description Hveravellir geothermal area is a small nature reserve and a tourist ...

? The ''Kjalhraun'' (''hraun'' means "lava field") lava field is about 7,800 years old. * 5000 BC -

Hekla Hekla (), or Hecla, is a stratovolcano in the south of Iceland with a height of . Hekla is one of Iceland's most active volcanoes; over 20 eruptions have occurred in and around the volcano since 874. During the Middle Ages, the Icelandic Norse ...

(H5). The first acidic eruption in

. The ash layer H5 is found in soil in the central highlands and in many parts of the North. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * Circa 6,800 BC

''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 6000 BP - The Stórhöfði peninsula was formed to the south of

Helgafell Helgafell (, "holy mountain") is a small mountain on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula of Iceland. The mountain is high. A temple in honor of Thor (''Þór'') was built there by Þórólfr Mostrarskegg, the first settler of the area. His biography is ...

on the island of

Heimaey Heimaey (), is an Icelandic island. At , it is the largest island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, and the largest and most populated island off the Icelandic coast. Heimaey is off the south coast of Iceland. It is the only populated isla ...

.US Geological Survey
/ref> * 5000 BP - Bláfjöll Volcanic System, lava flow reached

west. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 5000 BP - (or circa 3,000 BC - unsourced, see below) -

formed from a secondary eruption on the Stórhöfði peninsula.visitvestmannislands.is
/ref> * 3,900 BC - Hekla H-SvElsa G. Vilmundardóttir og Árni Hjartarson 1985: Vikurhlaup í Heklugosum. Náttúrufræðingurinn 54, 17-30. * 3500 BC -

Grímsnes Grímsnes () is a fissure or crater row volcanic system located in South Iceland, a relatively small volcanic system located SE of Thingvallavatn lake east of an en echelon group of volcanic fields extending across the Reykjanes Peninsula. The el ...

, VEI 3. The Grímsneshraun lava-fields in the area cover a total of . The total volume of lava produced in the lava flows of Grímsnes has been estimated at . ''(Part of the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ))'' * 5200 BP - Leitin, a

Holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

effusive eruption An effusive eruption is a type of volcanic eruption in which lava steadily flows out of a volcano onto the ground. Overview There are two major groupings of eruptions: effusive and explosive. Effusive eruption differs from explosive eruption, ...

, shield volcano on the

Reykjanes Reykjanes () is a small headland on the southwestern tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula in Iceland, giving the main peninsula its name. The region is about from Iceland's international airport. As the name means "smoking peninsula" connected to volc ...

peninsula, south of Reykjavík. Part of the

Brennisteinsfjöll volcanic system Brennisteinsfjöll (, "Sulfur mountains"
Brennisteinsfjöll. Detailed description. In: Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes ...

and therefore of the

Reykjanes Volcanic Belt The Reykjanes Peninsula ( is, Reykjanesskagi ) in southwest Iceland is the continuation of the mostly submarine Reykjanes Ridge, a part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, on land and reaching from Esja in the north and Hengill in the east to Rey ...

.Thor Thordarson, Armann Hoskuldsson: Iceland. Classic geology of Europe 3. Harpenden 2002, p.56 ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 3000 BC -

Vestmannaeyjar Vestmannaeyjar (, sometimes anglicized as Westman Islands) is a municipality and archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of 4,414, most of whom live in the archipelago's main town, Vestmannaeyja ...

(Westman Islands). Formation of

and the older lava on

. * 2500 BC -

(H4). ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1200 BC - Veiðivatnasvæði, Búrfellshraun flowed from a series of craters near

( :is:Veiðivötn), on the one hand to Þórisós and on the other hand down with Tungná and Þjórsá all the way down to Landsveit * 1000 BC - Katla. Two ash layers in the South and the

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * Circa 1,000-900 BC - Hekla (H3) is considered the most severe eruption of

during the

. which threw about of

volcanic rock Volcanic rock (often shortened to volcanics in scientific contexts) is a rock formed from lava erupted from a volcano. In other words, it differs from other igneous rock by being of volcanic origin. Like all rock types, the concept of volcanic r ...

into the atmosphere, placing its Volcanic Explosivity Index (VEI) at 5. This would have cooled temperatures in the

Northern Hemisphere The Northern Hemisphere is the half of Earth that is north of the Equator. For other planets in the Solar System, north is defined as being in the same celestial hemisphere relative to the invariable plane of the solar system as Earth's Nort ...

for several years afterwards. Traces have been identified in Scottish

peat bog A bog or bogland is a wetland that accumulates peat as a deposit of dead plant materials often mosses, typically sphagnum moss. It is one of the four main types of wetlands. Other names for bogs include mire, mosses, quagmire, and muskeg; a ...

s, and

dendrochronology Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...

shows a decade of negligible

tree ring Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...

growth in Ireland. An eighteen-year span of

global cooling Global cooling was a conjecture, especially during the 1970s, of imminent cooling of the Earth culminating in a period of extensive glaciation, due to the cooling effects of aerosols or orbital forcing. Some press reports in the 1970s specul ...

that is recorded in

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

bog oak Bog-wood (also spelled bogwood or bog wood), also known as abonos and, especially amongst pipe smokers, as morta, is a material from trees that have been buried in peat bogs and preserved from decay by the acidic and anaerobic bog conditions, some ...

s has been attributed to H-3. The eruption is detectable in

Greenland Greenland ( kl, Kalaallit Nunaat, ; da, Grønland, ) is an island country in North America that is part of the Kingdom of Denmark. It is located between the Arctic and Atlantic oceans, east of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago. Greenland is t ...

ice core An ice core is a core sample that is typically removed from an ice sheet or a high mountain glacier. Since the ice forms from the incremental buildup of annual layers of snow, lower layers are older than upper ones, and an ice core contains ic ...

s, the bristlecone pine sequence, and the Irish oak sequence of extremely narrow growth rings. A research team lead by Baker dated it to 1021 BC ±130.Pg 68 Some

Egyptologist Egyptology (from ''Egypt'' and Greek , '' -logia''; ar, علم المصريات) is the study of ancient Egyptian history, language, literature, religion, architecture and art from the 5th millennium BC until the end of its native religious ...

s have dated the eruption to

1159 BC The 1150s BC is a List of decades, decade which lasted from 1159 BC to 1150 BC. Events and trends *1159 BC—The Hekla 3 eruption triggers an 18-year period of climatic worsening. (estimated date, disputed) *1154 BC—Death of monarch, King Mene ...

, and blamed it for famines under

Ramesses III Usermaatre Meryamun Ramesses III (also written Ramses and Rameses) was the second Pharaoh of the Twentieth Dynasty in Ancient Egypt. He is thought to have reigned from 26 March 1186 to 15 April 1155 BC and is considered to be the last great monar ...

during the wider

Bronze Age collapse The Late Bronze Age collapse was a time of widespread societal collapse during the 12th century BC, between c. 1200 and 1150. The collapse affected a large area of the Eastern Mediterranean (North Africa and Southeast Europe) and the Near Ea ...

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * Circa 900 BC

( Þeistareykjarbunga). The third of three dated eruptions. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 800 BC (± 300 years) -

Fremrinámur Fremrinámur () is a volcano with a volcanic system located on the basalt plateau in Iceland. It is at the junction of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located alo ...

. Some

s have firmly dated the eruption to

, and blamed it for famines under

during the wider

. Dugmore has rebutted this dating. It is at the junction of the

Mid-Atlantic Ridge The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. In the North Atlantic, the ridge separates the North Ame ...

and the Greenland–Iceland–Faeroe Ridge. It is one of five volcanic systems found in the axial rift zone in north east Iceland. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * circa 500 BC - Hverfjall (Hverfell) is a

cone or

Phreatomagmatic eruption Phreatomagmatic eruptions are volcanic eruptions resulting from interaction between magma and water. They differ from exclusively magmatic eruptions and phreatic eruptions. Unlike phreatic eruptions, the products of phreatomagmatic eruptions conta ...

in northern

. The eruption was in the southern part of the

Krafla Krafla () is a volcanic caldera of about 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long 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 ...

fissure swarm. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' *400 BC

Stóra-Eldborg undir Geitahlíð Stóra-Eldborg undir Geitahlíð (; also Stóra-Eldborg við Geitahlíð ) is a small Holocene volcano in Iceland, on Reykjanes peninsula, 50 m high,Íslandshandbókin. Náttúra, saga of sérkenni. Reykjavík 1989, p. 45 with a 30 m deep c ...

( Eldborgir) erupted, and the lava flowed 2,5 km to the sea.Reynir Ingibjartsson: 25 Gönguleiðir á Reykjanesskaga. Náttúrann við Bæjarveggin. Reykjavík , p.112 - 117Íslandshandbókin. Náttúra, saga of sérkenni. Reykjavík 1989, p. 45 * 300 BC

Mývatn () is a shallow lake situated in an area of active volcanism in the north of Iceland, not far from Krafla volcano. It has a high amount of biological activity. The lake and the surrounding wetlands provides a habitat for a number of waterbirds, e ...

, large fissure eruption pouring out basaltic lava. The lava flowed down the valley Laxárdalur to the lowland plain of Aðaldalur where it entered the Arctic Ocean about away from Mývatn. The crater row that was formed on top of the eruptive fissure is called Þrengslaborgir (or Lúdentarborgir). ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 150 AD ± 75 years -

Hengill Hengill (Icelandic language, Icelandic, pronounced ) is a volcano, volcanic mountain range situated in the southwest of Iceland, to the south of Þingvellir. The mountain range covers an area of about 100 km². The volcano is still active, e ...

Shield volcano A shield volcano is a type of volcano named for its low profile, resembling a warrior's shield lying on the ground. It is formed by the eruption of highly fluid (low viscosity) lava, which travels farther and forms thinner flows than the more v ...

''(Part of the West volcanic zone (WVZ))'' * 200 AD ± 150 years -

on the

. There were several

holocene The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

eruptions, of which the latest

explosive eruption In volcanology, an explosive eruption is a volcanic eruption of the most violent type. A notable example is the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens. Such eruptions result when sufficient gas has dissolved under pressure within a viscous magma such ...

produced approximately . ''(Part of the Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB))''

9th century

''Dates are approximate.'' ''(Note: First Norse settlers arrived in 870/874.)'' * circa 800 - Vatnafjöll. a long, wide

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 ...

fissure vent A fissure vent, also known as a volcanic fissure, eruption fissure or simply a fissure, is a linear volcanic vent through which lava erupts, usually without any explosive eruption, explosive activity. The vent is often a few metres wide an ...

system. It is part of the same system as

. More than two dozen eruptions have occurred at Vatnafjöll during the

Holocene Epoch The Holocene ( ) is the current geological epoch. It began approximately 11,650 cal years Before Present (), after the Last Glacial Period, which concluded with the Holocene glacial retreat. The Holocene and the preceding Pleistocene togethe ...

.Global Volcanism Program: Vatnafjöll
/ref> ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * circa 870 -

Torfajökull Torfajökull ( Icelandic for "Torfi's glacier"; ) is a rhyolitic stratovolcano, caldera (central volcano) and complex of subglacial volcanoes, located north of Mýrdalsjökull and south of Þórisvatn Lake, Iceland. Torfajökull last erupted in 1 ...

. A

and complex of

subglacial volcano A subglacial volcano, also known as a glaciovolcano, is a volcanic form produced by subglacial eruptions or eruptions beneath the surface of a glacier or ice sheet which is then melted into a lake by the rising lava. Today they are most ...

es. The largest area of

silicic Silicic is an adjective to describe magma or igneous rock rich in silica. The amount of silica that constitutes a silicic rock is usually defined as at least 63 percent. Granite and rhyolite are the most common silicic rocks. Silicic is the group ...

extrusive rocks in Iceland. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 870 - Ash and lava eruptions in

Vatnaöldur Vatnaöldur () is the name of a series of craters in the Suðurland region of Iceland. They are located in the Highlands of Iceland, northwest of the Veiðivötn and northeast of Landmannalaugar, within the municipality of Rangárþing ytra. It ...

. The craters resulted from (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 magma i ...

.G. Larsen, Thor Thordarson: Phreatomagmatism in the Eastern Volcanic Zone; 25 July 2010Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program - Vatnaöldur
/ref> ''(It is part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

10th century

* 900 - Afstapahraun ( :is: Afstapahraun). ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 900 -

Vatnajökull Vatnajökull ( Icelandic pronunciation: , literally "Glacier of Lakes"; sometimes translated as Vatna Glacier in English) is the largest and most voluminous ice cap in Iceland, and the second largest in area in Europe after the Severny Island ice ...

''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 900 -

''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 900 - Hallmundarhraun ( :is: Hallmundarhraun) lava flows. * 900 - Rauðhálsahraun in Hnappadalur ( :is: Hnappadalur) * 905 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 920 -

, location uncertain, but

layer from the eruption is known. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 920 - Katla (ash layer called Katla-R). ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 934 (or 939) - Katla and

Eldgjá Eldgjá (, "fire canyon") is a volcano and a canyon in Iceland. Eldgjá is part of the Katla volcano; it is a segment of a long chain of volcanic craters and fissure vents that extends northeast away from Katla volcano almost to the Vatnajökul ...

: VEI 6. A large lava flow from Eldgjá flowed over Álftaver ( :is: Álftaver), Meðalland and Landbrot ( :is: Landbrot). The eruption was the largest

flood basalt A flood basalt (or plateau basalt) is the result of a giant volcanic eruption or series of eruptions that covers large stretches of land or the ocean floor with basalt lava. Many flood basalts have been attributed to the onset of a hotspot reach ...

in historic time (, of

magma Magma () is the molten or semi-molten natural material from which all igneous rocks are formed. Magma is found beneath the surface of the Earth, and evidence of magmatism has also been discovered on other terrestrial planets and some natural sa ...

.) Evidence from

tree rings Dendrochronology (or tree-ring dating) is the scientific method of dating tree rings (also called growth rings) to the exact year they were formed. As well as dating them, this can give data for dendroclimatology, the study of climate and atmos ...

in the

indicates that 940 was one of the coolest summers in 1500 years. Summer average temperatures in

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

Scandinavia Scandinavia; Sámi languages: /. ( ) is a subregion#Europe, subregion in Northern Europe, with strong historical, cultural, and linguistic ties between its constituent peoples. In English usage, ''Scandinavia'' most commonly refers to Denmark, ...

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, covering over , making it the world's second-largest country by tot ...

Alaska Alaska ( ; russian: Аляска, Alyaska; ale, Alax̂sxax̂; ; ems, Alas'kaaq; Yup'ik: ''Alaskaq''; tli, Anáaski) is a state located in the Western United States on the northwest extremity of North America. A semi-exclave of the U.S., ...

, and

Central Asia Central Asia, also known as Middle Asia, is a subregion, region of Asia that stretches from the Caspian Sea in the west to western China and Mongolia in the east, and from Afghanistan and Iran in the south to Russia in the north. It includes t ...

were 2 °C lower than normal. Probably the earthquake from which Molda-Gnúpur and his people fled according to "Settlement". Landnáma also tells about the formation of Sólheimasandur (:is: Sólheimasandur) in the great course of the Jökulsá river. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 940 -

( :is:Veiðivötn) (volcanic layer in NA-land) ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 999 or 1000 - Svínahraun (

lava Lava is molten or partially molten rock (magma) that has been expelled from the interior of a terrestrial planet (such as Earth) or a moon onto its surface. Lava may be erupted at a volcano or through a fracture in the crust, on land or un ...

) * 1000 - Katla. A

layer survives. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * Circa 1,000 -

. A volcanic system in the Arnarvatnsheiði. The craters of this system produced the lava field ''Hallmundarhraun'' which extends some westward into the valley of the Hvítá.

11th century

* circa 1060 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

12th century

* 1104 -

(H1). Its first and greatest eruption in historical time. Heavy ash fall to the north and northeast.

Þjórsárdalur Þjórsárdalur () is a valley in Árnessýsla county in Iceland that lies between mount Búrfell (Þjórsárdal), Búrfell alongside the river Þjórsá to the east and mount Skriðufell to the west. The valley is quite flattened over and pum ...

was destroyed, incl. the town of Stöng (

Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng Þjóðveldisbærinn Stöng (, ''Stöng Commonwealth Farm'') is a reconstructed viking-era farmstead in Iceland, located in the Þjórsárdalur valley near road 32 in Árnessýsla county. It is a historically accurate reconstruction of the three b ...

) ( :is: Stöng (bær)). ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1151-1188

Krýsuvík fires The Krýsuvík fires were a period of volcanic activity in a fissure swarm known as Krýsuvík ( :is: Krýsuvíkureldar) on the Reykjanes peninsula. The fires started in the middle of the 12th century, probably in 1151 and written sources indic ...

( :is: Krýsuvíkureldar). Volcanic activity in a fissure swarm known as Krýsuvík on the Reykjanes peninsula. Eruption in

Trölladyngja Situated in the Ódáðahraun lava field, Trölladyngja () is the biggest of the Icelandic shield volcanoes, reaching a height of above sea level,Ögmundarhraun and Kapelluhraun. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1158 -

, second eruption. A VEI 4 eruption began on 19 January 1158 producing over 0.15 km³ of

and 0.2 km³ of

. It is likely to be the source of the ''Efrahvolshraun'' lava on Hekla's west.Thorarinsson, p. 11 ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * circa 1160 - ? in

(Vatnajökli). ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1160-1180 - Two eruptions in the sea off

(ash layer known). ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1179 - Katla. Sources are unclear, but ash layers found in Greenland Glaciers. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1188 - ? Rjúpnadyngju lava flow and Mávahlíða lava flow. Rjúpnadyngjuhraun og Mávahlíðahraun runnu

13th century

* 1206 -

, eruption number 3. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1210-1211 - from

Eldey Eldey () is a small island about off the coast of the Reykjanes Peninsula in southwest Iceland. Located west-southwest of Reykjavík, the island of Eldey covers an area of about , and rises to a height of . Its sheer cliffs are home to large ...

formed. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1222 -

, eruption number 4. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1223 - off

, location uncertain. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1225 - off

, location uncertain. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1226-1227 - some eruptions in

. They are owned by Yngra Stampahraun, (Klofningahraun), Eldvarpahraun, Illahraun and Arnarseturshraun. Sandy winter due to a large ash eruption at Reykjanestá and the so-called Medieval Valley fell. Hardness as a result. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1231 - off

, location uncertain. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1238 - off

, location uncertain. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1240 - off

, location uncertain. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1245 - Katla. Fire and lava from

Sólheimajökull Sólheimajökull () is a glacier in southern Iceland, between the volcanoes Katla (volcano), Katla and Eyjafjallajökull. Part of the larger Mýrdalsjökull glacier, Sólheimajökull is a prominent and popular tourist location owing to its size ...

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1262 - Katla. Fire with heavy ash fall in

. The last people at Sólheimasandur ( :is: Sólheimasandur). ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1300-1301 -

, eruption number 5. Heavy ash fall in

Skagafjörður Skagafjörður () is a deep fjord and its valley in northern Iceland. Location Skagafjörður, the fjord, is about 40 km long and 15 km wide, situated between Tröllaskagi to the east and the Skagi Peninsula to the west. There are t ...

and famine as a result.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

14th century

* 1311 - Katla. Darkness in the Eastfjords and ash fall in many parts of the country. Major lava flow, probably on

Mýrdalssandur Mýrdalssandur () is an outwash plain on the south coast of Iceland. Location and description The outwash plain is located between the rivers of Kúðafljót in the east and Múlakvísl in the west. Both rivers carry water from the Mýrdalsjöku ...

, but sources are unclear and contradictory. Crop and hay failure the following year with associated casualties. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1332 - in

(Vatnajökli), probably in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1340 - ?

Brennisteinsfjöll Brennisteinsfjöll (, "Sulfur mountains"
Brennisteinsfjöll. Detailed description. In: Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes ...

(no lava from the 14th century known on the

peninsula). ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1341 -

, eruption number 6. The ash spread west through

Borgarfjörður Borgarfjörður () is a fjord in the west of Iceland near the town of Borgarnes. Although the waters of Borgarfjörður appear calm, the fjord has significant undercurrents and shallows. The many flat islands lying in the fjord are for the most ...

and

Akranes Akranes () is a port town and municipality on the west coast of Iceland, around north of the capital Reykjavík. The area where Akranes is located was settled in the 9th century; however, it did not receive a municipal charter until 1942. His ...

. Great death, especially in Rangárvellir ( :is: Rangárvellir) and many settlements were destroyed. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1341 - ?

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1341 - (± 1 year)

Brennisteinsfjöll Brennisteinsfjöll (, "Sulfur mountains"
Brennisteinsfjöll. Detailed description. In: Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes ...

, a VEI-2 eruption. One of the bigger lava flows, runs south to the coast at Herdísarvík bay forming lava falls on their way. * 1354 - ?

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1357 - Katla. Extensive eruption and damage. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1362 - Knappafellsjökull. The largest ash eruption in Icelandic history. Litla-Hérað (

Öræfasveit Öræfasveit () or Öræfi (previously called Litlahérað , "little district") is a western region in Austur-Skaftafellssýsla, Iceland. It lies between Breiðamerkursandur and the river Skeiðará, east of the village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur a ...

) was completely destroyed and few seem to have escaped. The group was called Öræfi when it started to rebuild and the glacier

Öræfajökull Öræfajökull (; ' Öræfi glacier' or 'wasteland glacier') is an ice-covered volcano in south-east Iceland. The largest active volcano and the highest peak in Iceland at , it lies within the Vatnajökull National Park and is covered by part of t ...

. Most of the ash was carried east to the sea, but destroyed much of

Hornafjörður Hornafjörður () is a small fjord in southeastern Iceland. The town Höfn Höfn () or Höfn í Hornafirði () is an Icelandic fishing town in the southeastern part of the country. It lies near Hornafjörður fjord. The town, the second large ...

and Lónshverfi along the way.

Jökulhlaup A jökulhlaup ( ) (literally "glacial run") is a type of glacial outburst flood. It is an Icelandic term that has been adopted in glaciological terminology in many languages. It originally referred to the well-known subglacial outburst flood ...

Skeiðarársandur Skeiðarársandur () is an Icelandic glacial outwash plain, a vast expanse of sand generated by the transport of debris by the Skeiðará and other rivers, whose flow is generated by the Skeiðarárjökull glacier and fed by the volcanic systems ...

and out to sea. ''(Part of the Öræfajökull volcanic belt (OVB))'' * 1372 - north-west of Grímseyjar * 1389-1390 - in and around

, eruption number 7. Norðurhraun lava flows, Skarð, Tjaldastaðir and maybe more towns are subsumed. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

15th century

* 1416 - Katla. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1422 - off

an island is formed and lasts for several years. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1440 -

or surroundings. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1477 -

. A

and complex of

es. The largest area of

extrusive rocks in Iceland.C.F. Zellmer, et al.: On the recent bimodal magmatic processes and their rates in the Torfajökull–Veidivötn area, Iceland. Earth and Planetary Science Letters 269 (2008) 387–397.
/ref> ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1477 -

Landmannalaugar Landmannalaugar () is a location in Iceland's Fjallabak Nature Reserve in the Highlands. It is at the edge of the Laugahraun lava field, formed in an eruption in approximately 1477. It is known for its natural geothermal hot springs and ...

in the

Highlands of Iceland The Highlands of Iceland ( is, hálendið ) are a sparsely inhabited plateau that covers most of the interior of Iceland. They are situated above 400–500 metres (1300–1600 feet) and are mostly an uninhabitable volcanic desert, because the wa ...

."Auglýsing um friðland að Fjallabaki"
Stjórnartíðindi B, nr. 354/1979. August 13. 1979. Retrieved on August 21. 2014. It is at the edge of Laugahraun

lava field Lava fields are large, mostly flat areas of surface or subaquatic lava flows. Such features are generally composed of highly fluid basalt lava, and can extend for tens or hundreds of miles across the underlying terrain. Morphology and stru ...

, which was formed around 1477.Sigurður Steinþórsson. "Í hvaða gosi myndaðist hraunið hjá Landmannalaugum og hvaða ár?"
The Icelandic Web of Science
July 4. 2008. Retrieved on 21 August 2014. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1477 - at Heljargjárrein. Eruption on a long fissure in

( :is:Veiðivötn) west of

. * circa 1480- 1500 - Katla.Ferlir, Volcanic Eruptions in Historical Times
/ref> ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * about 1500 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

16th century

* 1510 -

eruption number 8. A large eruption with heavy ash fall to the south. The largest Hekla lava field from historical times. Extensive

land degradation Land degradation is a process in which the value of the biophysical environment is affected by a combination of human-induced processes acting upon the land. It is viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious ...

Rangárvallasýsla Iceland was historically divided into 23 counties known as ''sýslur'' (), and 23 independent towns known as ''kaupstaðir'' (). Iceland is now split up between 24 sýslumenn (magistrates) that are the highest authority over the local police ( ...

as a result. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1554 - Vondubjallar southwest of

. The eruption lasted for 6 weeks in the spring. Red bells formed and from them flowed Pálssteinshraun. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1580 - Katla. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * circa 1582 - at

* 1597 -

, eruption number 9. From January 3 into the summer. Volcanic eruptions were widespread but caused little living space, although mainly in Mýrdalur. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1598 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

17th century

* 1603 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1612 - Katla (and / or

Eyjafjallajökull Eyjafjallajökull (; ), sometimes referred to by the numeronym E15, is one of the smaller ice caps of Iceland, north of Skógar and west of Mýrdalsjökull. The ice cap covers the caldera of a volcano with a summit elevation of . The volcan ...

). The eruption began on October 16, but sources do not agree on which glacier erupted, Katla is considered more likely.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1619 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1625 - Katla. September 2–14 . Large eruption with heavy ash fall to the east. 25 towns were deserted. Þorsteinn Magnússon, abbot of Þykkvabær, wrote a report on the eruption, the first of its kind in Iceland. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1629 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1636-37 -

, eruption number 10 began on May 8 and lasted for over a year. Ash fall to the northeast and little damage. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1637-38 - by the

Westman Islands Vestmannaeyjar (, sometimes anglicized as Westman Islands) is a municipality and archipelago off the south coast of Iceland. The largest island, Heimaey, has a population of 4,414, most of whom live in the archipelago's main town, Vestmannaeyja ...

* 1638 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1655 -? probably an eruption in

, probably in

Kverkfjöll Kverkfjöll (; 1,764 m) is a mountain range situated on the north-eastern border of the glacier Vatnajökull in Iceland. With the glacier Kverkjökull, it is between the Vatnajökull glacier and the Dyngjufjöll mountains. The mountains are act ...

. Big lava flow in

Jökulsá á Fjöllum Jökulsá á Fjöllum (; "glacial river in the mountains") is the second longest river in Iceland (206 km). Its source is the Vatnajökull glacier. It flows into the Greenland Sea. Jökulsá á Fjöllum streams over the waterfalls Selfoss, ...

. * 1659 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1660-61 - Katla. The eruption began on November 3 and lasted until the end of the year. A small ash fall but a large flow on

and cut Höfðabrekka off. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1681 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1684-85 -

. A major lava flow in

, one person died and a number of livestock.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1693 -

, eruption number 11 began on 13 February and lasted until the autumn. Heavy ash fall to the northwest at the beginning of the eruption which caused great and permanent damage in the surrounding areas. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1693 - Katla. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1697 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

18th century

* 1702 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1706 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1711-12 -

* 1716 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1717 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1721 - Katla. Heavy ash fall, about and a big lava flow. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1724-29 - Mývatnseldar ( :is:Mývatnseldar) (Myvatn Fires, Krafla Fires). Lava flowed into Lake Mývatn and the volcanic "Viti crater" (Hell crater) formed by

volcano.Krafla Visitor Centre, Myvatn Fires, Krafla Fires
/ref> ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1725 - in

* 1725 - southeast of

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1726 - in

* 1727 -

, at the glacier roots above Sandfellsskerji. 3 died. ''(Part of the Öræfajökull volcanic belt (OVB))'' * 1729 -

* 1746 - Mývatnseldar, ( :is:Mývatnseldar), (Myvatn Fires, Krafla Fires). 1 eruption. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1753 - southwest of Grímsvatn * 1755-56 - Katla. The eruption began on October 17 and lasted until mid-February. A large amount of ash, about , reached the northeast and caused great damage in Skaftártunga, Álftaveri and Síða. A big lava flow on

, mostly west of

Hafursey Hafursey (; ) is an inselberg in Southern Iceland. It has a length of and a width of . Location Hafursey lies to the north of the black outwash plain of Mýrdalssandur, south of a side glacier of the Mýrdalsjökull, called Kötlujökull. Shape ...

. Lightning killed two people. About 50 towns were deserted, most of them only temporarily. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1766 - west of

, probably in

Bárðarbunga Bárðarbunga (), is a stratovolcano located under Vatnajökull in Vatnajökull National Park which is Iceland's most extensive glacier. The second highest mountain in Iceland, above sea level, Bárðarbunga is also part of a volcanic system th ...

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1766-68 -

, eruption number 12. The largest lava eruption of Hekla in historical time. Ash fall in Húnavatns- and

Skagafjarðarsýsla Iceland was historically divided into 23 counties known as ''sýslur'' (), and 23 independent towns known as ''kaupstaðir'' (). Iceland is now split up between 24 sýslumenn (magistrates) that are the highest authority over the local police ( ...

counties. 10 lands were deserted. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1774 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1783 -

Nýey Nýey (), Nýeyjar , Nyø (Danish), was an island that formed in 1783 due to an underwater eruption in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge southwest of Reykjanes, Iceland. It disappeared within a year. History The formation of "Nýeyjar" began on May 1, 178 ...

. Reykjaneshrygg, southwest of

. The island of

rose from the sea with intense, poisonous,

sulphur Sulfur (or sulphur in British English) is a chemical element with the symbol S and atomic number 16. It is abundant, multivalent and nonmetallic. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with a chemical formula ...

ous smoke, but disappeared in less than a year.University of Iceland, Earth Sciences, How common are new islands in eruptions? by Professor Sigurður Steinþórsson, 9 June 2005.
/ref> ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1783-84

Laki Laki () or Lakagígar (, ''Craters of Laki'') is a volcanic fissure in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, not far from the volcanic fissure of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The fissure is properly r ...

. ( Skaftáreldar,

Þórðarhyrna Thordarhyrna ( is, Þórðarhyrna ) is one of seven subglacial volcanoes beneath the Vatnajokull glacier Iceland. Eruptions It last erupted in 1910 and prior to that in 1903. An eruption in 3550 BC ± 500 years poured out 150,000,000 cubic mete ...

, sometimes referred to in Icelandic as the ''Skaftáreldur, Skaftá Fires'') Lava flowed along

Skaftá The Skaftá () is a river in South Iceland. It is primarily glacial in origin and has had its course modified by volcanic activity; as a result of both, it often floods because of glacial melting. Course The river's primary source is two subglac ...

river valley and Hverfisfljót, down into the lowlands and covered about (including a gorge thought to have been deep). The eruption has been estimated to have killed over six million people globally. Ash fall and poisoning caused hay failure leading to a

famine A famine is a widespread scarcity of food, caused by several factors including war, natural disasters, crop failure, Demographic trap, population imbalance, widespread poverty, an Financial crisis, economic catastrophe or government policies. Th ...

that killed about 25% of the island's population and resulted in a drop in global temperatures, as

sulfur dioxide Sulfur dioxide (IUPAC-recommended spelling) or sulphur dioxide (traditional Commonwealth English) is the chemical compound with the formula . It is a toxic gas responsible for the odor of burnt matches. It is released naturally by volcanic activ ...

was spewed into the

. This caused crop failures in Europe and may have caused droughts in India. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1797 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

19th century

* 1807 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1816 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1821 - Katla. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1821-23 -

. The eruption began weakly on December 19, no lava flowed but some ash fell. Subsequently, Lava flowed north to

Markarfljót Markarfljót () is a river in the south of Iceland. It is approximately 100 kilometers long. The Markarfljót rises in the Rauðafossafjöll massif, east of the volcano Hekla. The main sources for the river are the glaciers Mýrdalsjökull and ...

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1823 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1830 - Eldeyjarboði. Submarine eruption. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 1838 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1845-46 -

, eruption number 13 began on September 2 and lasted for about 7 months. Heavy ash fall to the southeast and a lava flow in

Ytri-Rangá Ytri-Rangá () is a river in Iceland popular for salmon fishing. It is over long, rising north of Hekla, passing to the west of Hella ''Hella'' is an American slang term that originated in the San Francisco Bay Area. It is used as an intens ...

. Lava flowed west and northwest, about , so the town of Næfurholt had to be relocated. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1854 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1860 - Katla. A small eruption. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1861 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1862-64 - at Heljargjárrein. The eruption began on June 30 in a long fissure north of Tungnaárjökull. Trollagígar formed there and Tröllahraun flowed from them. * 1867 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1867-68 - Mánáreyjar. Submarine eruption. * 1872 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1873 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1874 -

Askja Askja () is an active volcano situated in a remote part of the Highlands of Iceland, central highlands of Iceland. The name Askja refers to a complex of nested calderas within the surrounding Dyngjufjöll mountains, which rise to , ''askja'' ...

. Likely eruption in February. Gas was seen. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1875 -

. Lava eruption began on January 3 . Sigketill began to form later that month. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1875 -

. A lava eruption began in Sveinagjá in Mývatnsöræf on 18 February on a long fissure. It lasted until mid-August and flowed from Nýjahraun. It is believed to be a magma flow from Askja. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1875 -

One of the largest ash eruptions in Icelandic history began on March 28 and lasted for about eight hours. Eruption from Víti and other craters. Heavy damage from ash fall in the middle of East Iceland and many towns were deserted. Many East Fjord people moved to the West as a result. Öskjuvatn was formed and it grew steadily. Eruptions occurred for several months. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1876 -

. The last flame was seen at the end of the year. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1876 - in

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1878 - Krakatindur east of Hekla. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1879 -

Geirfuglasker Geirfuglasker (, "Great Auk Rock") was a small islet near Reykjanes, Iceland. It was volcanic rock with steep sides except for two landing places. The rough surf around the island usually made it inaccessible to humans, and one of the last refug ...

. Submarine eruption. * 1883 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1884 - Near

. Submarine eruption. Unclear sources. * ? 1885 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1887 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1889 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1892 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1896 - Probable eruption south of the

* 1897 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

20th century

* 1902-04 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1905-06 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1908-09 -

. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1910 -

. Ashfall was observed in the east of the country from June to November.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1913 - Mundafell / Lambafit east of Hekla. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1918 - Katla. The eruption began on October 12 and ended on November 5 . The eruption reached a height of and caused considerable damage in Skaftártunga. There was a lot of lava flow on

. It extended the southern coast by due to laharic flood deposits. Its present

dormancy Dormancy is a period in an organism's life cycle when growth, development, and (in animals) physical activity are temporarily stopped. This minimizes metabolic activity and therefore helps an organism to conserve energy. Dormancy tends to be clo ...

is among the longest in known history. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1921 -

. A small lava eruption. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1922 -

. The eruption began at the end of September and ended within a month.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1923 -

. A small lava eruption. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1923 -

. Smágos.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1926 -

. Eruption in the summer. A small island formed in

Öskjuvatn Öskjuvatn (, "Askja Lake") is a lake in the Highlands of Iceland. Its surface area is about 11 km². With a depth of , it is the second deepest lake in Iceland after Jökulsárlón. The lake is situated in the crater of the volcano Askja i ...

. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1926 - at

. Turbulence in the sea for several hours. * 1927 -

Esjufjöll The subglacial Esjufjöll () volcano is located at the SE part of the Vatnajökull icecap. Esjufjöll is a strict nature reserve (IUCN category Ia). Geography The mountains, actually nunataks within Vatnajökull, are located to the north of Öræ ...

. A small eruption, a lava flow off

Breiðamerkurjökull Breiðamerkurjökull () is an outlet glacier of the larger glacier of Vatnajökull and a piedmont glacier in the southern part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. Emerging as a tongue of the Vatnajökull, it ends in a small lagoon, known as J� ...

and a

(literally "glacial run") a type of

glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...

outburst flood In geomorphology, an outburst flood—a type of megaflood—is a high-magnitude, low-frequency catastrophic flood involving the sudden release of a large quantity of water. During the last deglaciation, numerous glacial lake outburst floods were ca ...

).Ari Trausti Guðmundsson, Pétur Þorsteinsson: Íslensk fjöll. Gönguleiðir á 151 tind. Reykjavík 2004, p. 200. One person was killed. It is located at the SE part of the Vatnajökull icecap. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1929 -

''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1929 -

. A fire was seen for a long time during the summer. * 1933 -

. Smágos. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1934 -

. The eruption began at the end of March and lasted until mid-April.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1930s - Gjálp An eruption took place in the 1930s. It had also caused a

(literally "glacial run") a type of

), but at the time, science could not yet analyze the events. The eruption remained subglacial.Snæbjörn Guðmundsson: ''Vegavísir um jarðfræði Íslands.'' Reykjavík 2015, p. 280-281 ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1938 -

. An eruption north of the caldera but did not emerge from the glacier ice.. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1941 -

. Possible eruption. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1945 -

. Possible eruption. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1947- 48 -

, eruption number 14 began on March 29 with an explosion. The plume reached a height of ash fall to the south over Fljótshlíð and Eyjafjöll. Heklugjá opened lengthwise, about of lava flowed, mostly to the west and southwest from Axlargígur. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1954 -

. Possible eruption. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1955 - Katla. Probably a small eruption under the glacier. A little lava. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1961 -

. Lava eruption began on October 26 on a 300 m long fissure and lasted until the end of November. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1963- 67 - Vestmannaeyjar :

Surtsey Surtsey ("Surtr's island" in Icelandic, ) is a volcanic island located in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago off the southern coast of Iceland. At Surtsey is the southernmost point of Iceland. It was formed in a volcanic eruption which began be ...

rose from the sea on November 14 in an underwater eruption southwest of

. Later, the islands Syrtlingur and Jólnir were formed but soon disappeared again. * 1970 -

, eruption number 15 began on May 5 in the southwestern part of Heklugjár and in Skjólkvíar north of the mountain. Considerable ash fall to NNV, all the way north to Húnavatnssýslur. In the mountain itself the activity stopped after a few days but in Skjólkvíar it erupted for about 2 months. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1973 -

Eldfell Eldfell is a volcanic cone just over high on the Icelandic 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 name means ''Hill of Fir ...

, VEI 3. A 1600 m long eruption fissure opens east of

on 23 January. About a third of the town was buried under lava, over 400 properties were destroyed. A volcano formed and Heimaey expanded to the east. * 1975 -

fires, 1st eruption 20 December. Lava eruption from a short fissure at Leirhnjúkur.Reykjavík Grapevine June 4 2021, The Message In The Magma: The Geldingadalir Eruption Site Is Growing—What Have We Learned? By Hannah Jane Cohen
/ref> Note: Mývatnseldar ( :is:Mývatnseldar), (Myvatn Fires, Krafla Fires), Lake Mývatn and the volcanic "Viti crater" (Hell crater) formed by

. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1977 -

fires, 2nd eruption 27–29 April. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1977 -

fires, 3rd eruption 8–9 September. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1980 -

fires, 4th eruption 16 March. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1980 -

fires, 5th eruption July 10–18. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1980- 81 -

, eruption number 16 began on August 17 and lasted until the 20th . Ash spread to the north, lava flowed mostly to the west and north. The eruption resumed on April 9 of the following year and ended on April 16. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1980 -

fires, 6th eruption, 18–23 October. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1981 -

fires, 7th eruption, 30 January - 4 February. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1981 -

fires, 8th eruption, 18–23 November. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 1983 -

. A small eruption at the end of May. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * ? 1984 -

. Probably a small eruption. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1984 -

fires, 9th eruption, 4–18 September. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * ? 1985 - Final ridge under

. Possible eruption. Gosórói on meters and sigg boilers in the glacier. * 1991 -

, eruption number 17 began on January 17 in the southern part of Heklugjár but soon subsided. One crater east of the mountain was active until March 17. A considerable amount of lava flowed on the south side of the mountain, but there was little ash fall. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1996 -

1996 eruption of Gjálp Gjálp () is a hyaloclastite ridge (tindar) in Iceland under the Vatnajökull glacier shield. It originated in an eruption series in 1996 and is probably part of the Grímsvötn volcanic system,Snæbjörn Guðmundsson: ''Vegavísir um jarðfr� ...

( Gjálpargosið /

). An eruption began on 30 September in a fissure under a glacier between Bárðarbunga and Grímsvatn and lasted until 13 October. The seismic activity indicated a magma flow from Bárðarbunga. Melting water flowed to Grímsvatn and ran from there to Skeiðarársandur on 5 November. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 1998 -

. 18. - 28 December. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 2000 -

, eruption number 18. February 26 - March 8. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

21st century

* 2004 -

. The eruption began on November 1. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 2010 -

. The eruption began at Fimmvörðuháls on March 20. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 2010 -

. The VEI 4 eruption began in Eyjafjallajökull on 14 April. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 2011 -

. (

2011 eruption of Grímsvötn The 2011 eruption of Grímsvötn was a Plinian eruption of Grímsvötn, Iceland's most active volcano, which caused disruption to air travel in Northwestern Europe from 22–25 May 2011. The last eruption of Grímsvötn was in 2004, with the p ...

), The Plinian eruption began on May 21 and caused major disruption to air travel in Northwestern Europe from 22–25 May 2011.Smithsonian Institution - Global Volcanism Program - Grimsvotn 2011
/ref> ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))'' * 2014-15 -

Holuhraun Holuhraun () is a lava field just north of the Vatnajökull ice cap, in the Icelandic Highlands, in Suður-Þingeyjarsýsla, Northeastern Region, Iceland. The lava field was created by fissure eruptions. After a research expedition in 1880, th ...

. The eruption began on August 29, 2014, and ended on February 28, 2015. ''(Part of the North volcanic zone (NVZ))'' * 2021 -

Fagradalsfjall Fagradalsfjall () is a tuya volcano formed in the Last Glacial Period on the Reykjanes Peninsula, around from Reykjavík, Iceland. Fagradalsfjall is also the name for the wider volcanic system covering an area wide and long between the Sva ...

. The eruption began in the valley Geldingadalir on March 19 and the "Fagradalshraun" lava has since then flowed into the valleys Meradalir and Nátthagi. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))'' * 2022 -

. The eruption began in the valley Meradalir on August 3 on top of a lava flow from the previous year's eruption. ''(Part of the Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ))''

Summary

''(For a detail description of the volcanic zones, see :

Geological deformation of Iceland The geological deformation of Iceland is the way that the rocks of the island of Iceland are changing due to tectonic forces. The geological deformation explains the location of earthquakes, volcanoes, fissures, and the shape of the island. Icelan ...

)''

Volcanic zones and systems

Iceland has several major volcanic zones surrounding the

Iceland hotspot The Iceland hotspot is a hotspot which is partly responsible for the high volcanic activity which has formed the Iceland Plateau and the island of Iceland. Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, with eruptions occur ...

East volcanic zone (EVZ)

The East Volcanic Zone (EVZ), the central volcanoes Vonarskarð and Hágöngur, belong to the same volcanic system. Includes:

Bláhnjúkur Bláhnjúkur () is a volcano in the south of Iceland. Its height is 940 m. Its name translates to ''blue peak'' in English. This comes from the blue-black colour of its sides. The colour is due to volcanic ash and lava flows. The mountain is sit ...

Brennisteinsalda The Brennisteinsalda () is a volcano in the south of Iceland. Its height is about 855 m. It is situated near Landmannalaugar and not far from Hekla. The name means in English: ''sulphur wave''. It comes from the sulphur spots which have coloured ...

, Gjálp,

, central volcano Hágöngur ( :is: Hágöngur),

Katla (volcano) Katla () is a large volcano in southern Iceland. It is very active; twenty eruptions have been documented between 930 and 1918, at intervals of 20–90 years. It has not erupted violently for years, although there may have been small eruptions ...

, Þórólfsfell,

, Thordarhyrna (

, Vatnafjöll,

, central volcano Vonarskarð ( :is: Vonarskarð),

Mid-Iceland Belt (MIB)

The Mid-Iceland Belt (MIB) connects the East, West and North volcanic zones, across central Iceland.

North volcanic zone (NVZ)

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:

Dettifoss Dettifoss () is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, 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 th ...

Dimmuborgir Dimmuborgir (''dimmu'' "dark", ''borgir'' "cities" or "forts", "castles"; pronounced ) is a large area of unusually shaped lava fields east of Mývatn in Iceland. The Dimmuborgir area is composed of various volcanic caves and rock formations, rem ...

Grjótagjá Grjótagjá () is a small lava cave near lake Mývatn in Iceland. It has a thermal spring inside. In early 18th century the outlaw Jón Markússon lived there and used the cave for bathing. Until the 1970s Grjótagjá was a popular bathing site ...

Herðubreið Herðubreið (, ''broad-shouldered'') is a tuya in northern part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland. It is situated in the Highlands of Iceland at the east side of the Ódáðahraun desert and close to Askja volcano. The desert is a large ...

, Hverfjall,

, Kollóttadyngja,

, Rauðhólar,

Trölladyngja Situated in the Ódáðahraun lava field, Trölladyngja () is the biggest of the Icelandic shield volcanoes, reaching a height of above sea level,Öræfajökull Öræfajökull (; ' Öræfi glacier' or 'wasteland glacier') is an ice-covered volcano in south-east Iceland. The largest active volcano and the highest peak in Iceland at , it lies within the Vatnajökull National Park and is covered by part of t ...

volcanic belt (ÖVB) is an intraplate volcanic belt, connected to the Eurasian plate. Includes: Knappafellsjökull,

Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ)

The Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ) is one of two major and active

transform fault A transform fault or transform boundary, is a fault along a plate boundary where the motion is predominantly horizontal. It ends abruptly where it connects to another plate boundary, either another transform, a spreading ridge, or a subductio ...

s zones striking west-northwest in northern and southern Iceland. Two large fracture zones, associated with the transform faults, namely Tjörnes and Reykjanes Fracture Zones are found striking about 75°N to 80°W. * the Reykjanes Ridge (RR) (the

south of Iceland) * the Reykjanes Volcanic Belt (RVB) (on the main island) Includes:

Bláfjöll Bláfjöll (, "blue mountains") are a small mountain range in the southwest of Iceland on Reykjanes peninsula at about 30 km from Reykjavík. They form sort of a double mountain massif to the west and in the east of JósepsdalurÞór Vigf ...

Brennisteinsfjöll Brennisteinsfjöll (, "Sulfur mountains"
Brennisteinsfjöll. Detailed description. In: Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes ...

, Búrfell (Hafnarfjörður),

Eldborg í Bláfjöllum The volcanic cone of Eldborg í Bláfjöllum () is to be found at about 2 km from the skiing area in Bláfjöll, i.e. at about 25 km from Reykjavík, in Iceland.Ísland Vegaatlas. Reykjavík 2006, p.1 Scoria cones Eldborg í Bláfjö ...

, Heiðin há, Helgafell (Hafnarfjörður),

, Leitin,

Rauðhólar (Reykjavík) The Rauðhólar () are remnants of a cluster of rootless cones in Elliðaárhraun lava fields on the south-eastern outskirts of Reykjavík, Iceland next to the South Iceland part of Hringvegur, the Suðurlandsvegur. Name The name Rauðhólar m ...

Svartsengi Power Station The Svartsengi Power Station (''Svartsengi'' (); "black meadow" in Icelandic) is a geothermal power plant, which is located in the Svartsengi geothermal field, about four km north of Grindavík, approximately 20 km SE of Keflavík Internati ...

Vífilsfell Vífilsfell () is a hyaloclastite ridge in southwestern Iceland (Weichselian). It is 655 m high and located west of Jósepsdalur valley on the volcanic plateau of Hellisheiði. It forms the northernmost offset of the Bláfjöll mountain massif ...

Þorbjörn (mountain) Þorbjörn () is a volcanic mountain of 243 m next to the town of Grindavík (Gullbringusýsla) on Reykjanes peninsula, Iceland.Íslandshandbókin. Náttúra, saga of sérkenni. Reykjavík 1989, p. 65 Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa), Blue Lagoon c ...

Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB)

The

Snæfellsnes The Snæfellsnes () is a peninsula situated to the west of Borgarfjörður, in western Iceland. The Snæfellsjökull volcano, regarded as one of the symbols of Iceland, can be found in the area. With its height of 1446 m, it is the highest ...

volcanic belt (SVB) is an intraplate volcanic belt, connected to the North American plate. It is proposed that the east-west line from the Grímsvötn volcano in the Mid-Iceland Belt (MIB) to the SVB shows the movement of the

North American Plate The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Cuba, the Bahamas, extreme northeastern Asia, and parts of Iceland and the Azores. With an area of , it is the Earth's second largest tectonic plate, behind the Pacific ...

over the

. Includes:

Arnarstapi Arnarstapi () or Stapi is a small fishing village at the foot of Mt. Stapafell between Hellnar village and Breiðavík farms on the southern side of Snæfellsnes, Iceland. Placenames in the vicinity of Arnarstapi and nearby Hellnar village a ...

, Djúpalónssandur,

Grundarfjörður Grundarfjörður () is a town in the north of the Snæfellsnes peninsula in the west of Iceland. It is situated between a mountain range and the sea. The nearby mountain Kirkjufell forms a small peninsula. Overview The town received the right ...

Hellnar Hellnar () is an ancient fishing village, a cluster of old houses and buildings situated close to Arnarstapi on the westernmost part of the Snæfellsnes peninsula, Iceland. Although Hellnar village used to be a major port of call for fishing vess ...

Ljósufjöll Ljósufjöll () is a fissure vent system and central volcano on the Snæfellsnes Peninsula in Iceland. The system has a length of about 90 km. The volcanic system contains cinder cones and is the only system on the peninsula that has erupted ...

, Lóndrangar,

South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ)

The South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ) is a

fracture zone A fracture zone is a linear feature on the ocean floor—often hundreds, even thousands of kilometers long—resulting from the action of offset mid-ocean ridge axis segments. They are a consequence of plate tectonics. Lithospheric plates on eit ...

, which connects the East and West Volcanic Zones. It contains its own volcanic systems, smaller than those in the Mid-Iceland Belt. Includes:

Kerið Kerið (; also Kerith or Kerid) is a volcanic crater lake located in the Grímsnes area in south Iceland, along the Golden Circle. It is one of several crater lakes in the area, known as Iceland's Western Volcanic Zone, which includes the Reyk ...

Reynisdrangar Reynisdrangar () are basalt sea stacks situated under the mountain Reynisfjall near the village Vík í Mýrdal in southern Iceland. It is framed by a black sand beach that was ranked in 1991 as one of the ten most beautiful non-tropical beach ...

Selfoss (town) Selfoss () is a town in southern Iceland on the banks of the Ölfusá river. It is the seat of the municipality of Árborg. The Icelandic Route 1 (Iceland), Route 1 runs through the town on its way between Hveragerði and Hella, Iceland, Hella. T ...

Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ)

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

s zones striking west-northwest in northern and southern Iceland. The Tjörnes and Reykjanes Fracture Zones are found striking about 75°N to 80°W.

West volcanic zone (WVZ)

Includes:

Barnafossar Barnafoss () is also known as Bjarnafoss , which was its previous name. Barnafoss is near Hraunfossar which burst out of Hallmundarhraun which is a great lava plain. Barnafoss is a waterfall in Western Iceland, about from Reykjavík. Barnafoss ...

Geitlandsjökull Geitlandsjökull () is a lateral glacier of Langjökull, the second largest ice cap in Iceland (953 km2), in the west of Iceland. The highest point of Geitlandsjökull, which lies on top of a tuya A tuya is a flat-topped, steep-sided volcano ...

Geysir Geysir (), sometimes known as The Great Geysir, is a geyser in southwestern Iceland. It was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. The English word ''geyser'' (a periodically spouting hot spring) ...

, Hlöðufell,

Hraunfossar Hraunfossar (; in Borgarfjörður, western Iceland) is a series of waterfalls formed by rivulets streaming over a distance of about 900 metres out of the Hallmundarhraun, a lava field which flowed from an eruption of one of the volcanoes lying ...

Kjölur Kjölur () is a plateau in the highlands of Iceland, roughly defined as the area between the Langjökull and Hofsjökull glaciers. It lies at an elevation of about 600–700 metres. Geography At the northern end of the Kjölur road, near the h ...

Langjökull Langjökull (, Icelandic for "long glacier") is the second largest ice cap in Iceland (953 km2), after Vatnajökull. It is situated in the west of the Icelandic interior or Highlands of Iceland and can be seen clearly from Haukadalur. Its ...

, Ok (volcano),

Prestahnúkur The volcano Prestahnúkur () is in the west of the Highlands of Iceland to the west of Langjökull glacier, or to be more specific, to the west of Geitlandsjökull glacier, a part of the Langjökull. The volcanic system The central volcano Pres ...

, Stóra-Björnsfell,

Surtshellir Surtshellir () is a lava cave located in western Iceland, around 60 km from the settlement of Borgarnes. Approximately a mile in length, it is one of the longest such caves in the country. It was the first known lava tube in the world, at ...

, Víðgelmir,

Þórisjökull Þórisjökull or Thórisjökull (, Icelandic for "Thóris's glacier") is a small glacier and volcano in western-central Iceland, to the southwest of Langjökull glacier. It has an elevation of . Kaldidalur lies in the foreground. Position þ� ...

, plus Skríðufell, Fjallkirkja, Þursaborg, and Péturshorn.Kortabók Mál og Menningar, Reykjavík 2005, pp.48/49 and 55/56, icel.

Eruptive activity

, including the

eruption of 1783, is probably the most eruptive volcano system. The

Lakagígar Laki () or Lakagígar (, ''Craters of Laki'') is a volcanic fissure in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, not far from the volcanic fissure of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The fissure is properly r ...

lava field alone is estimated to have produced about of lava. Grímsvötn 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))'' Katla has erupted 17 times in historical times, and

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 Grímsvötn. ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

has erupted at least 17 times in historical times, with total volume about , but around since the last ice age.Visindavefur, Science Web, Which volcano has erupted the most? By Sigurður Steinþórsson, Professor Emeritus
/ref> ''(Part of the East volcanic zone (EVZ))''

References

{{reflist

External links

Smithsonian Institution - Global Volcanism Program

Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes

Smithsonian Institution - Global Volcanism Program
Active volcanoes

Volcanic eruptions Several types of volcanic eruptions—during which lava, tephra (ash, lapilli, volcanic bombs and volcanic blocks), and assorted gases are expelled from a volcanic vent or fissure—have been distinguished by volcanologists. These are often ...

Volcanoes of Iceland

Prehistoric eruptions

9th century

10th century

11th century

12th century

13th century

14th century

15th century

16th century

17th century

18th century

19th century

20th century

21st century

Summary

Volcanic zones and systems

East volcanic zone (EVZ)

Mid-Iceland Belt (MIB)

North volcanic zone (NVZ)

Reykjanes volcanic zone (RVZ)

Snæfellsnes volcanic belt (SVB)

South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ)

Tjörnes Fracture Zone (TFZ)

West volcanic zone (WVZ)

Eruptive activity

See also

References

External links