Grjótagjá () is a small

lava cave A lava cave is any cave formed in volcanic rock, though it typically means caves formed by volcanic processes, which are more properly termed volcanic caves. Sea caves, and other sorts of erosional and crevice caves, may be formed in volcanic roc ...

near lake Mývatn in Iceland. It has a

thermal spring A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a spring produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circ ...

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. But during the eruptions from 1975 to 1984 the temperature of the water rose to more than 50 °C (122 °F), though the temperature is slowly decreasing and has fallen below 50 °C again. The nearby lava cave of Stóragjá is being used as an alternative bathing site. Grjótagjá was used as a location for filming the fifth episode of the third season of '' Game of Thrones'', called " Kissed by Fire".

Sources

{{DEFAULTSORT:Grjotagja Caves of Iceland Lava caves Volcanism of Iceland North Volcanic Zone of Iceland North Iceland