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Haukadalur (Bláskógabyggð)
Haukadalur ( Icelandic: , from , "hawk dale" or "valley of hawks") is a valley in Bláskógabyggð municipality, found in the Southern Region of Iceland. It is know for its geothermal activity and the Haukadalsskógur National Forest. Geography The shallow valley is at about above sea level about to the north-west of Reykjavík. It lies to the north of Laugarvatn lake in the south of Iceland. Geology There is a north-south orientated geothermal area in the valley, of about in width and about long, mainly on the eastern slopes of the rhyolite dome of Laugarfjau that is high. To the west of the valley is Bjarnarfell at which is a hyaloclastite ridge mainly composed of basalt and some rhyolite. To the north is a shield volcano, Sandfell at , which on the valley's horizon. The volcanoes have not been active for over 10,000 years. Geysers Haukadalur is home to some of the best known sights in Iceland: the geysers and other geothermal features which have developed on t ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Valley
A valley is an elongated low area often running between hills or mountains and typically containing a river or stream running from one end to the other. Most valleys are formed by erosion of the land surface by rivers or streams over a very long period. Some valleys are formed through erosion by glacial ice. These glaciers may remain present in valleys in high mountains or polar areas. At lower latitudes and altitudes, these glacially formed valleys may have been created or enlarged during ice ages but now are ice-free and occupied by streams or rivers. In desert areas, valleys may be entirely dry or carry a watercourse only rarely. In areas of limestone bedrock, dry valleys may also result from drainage now taking place underground rather than at the surface. Rift valleys arise principally from earth movements, rather than erosion. Many different types of valleys are described by geographers, using terms that may be global in use or else applied only locally ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hot Spring
A hot spring, hydrothermal spring, or geothermal spring is a Spring (hydrology), spring produced by the emergence of Geothermal activity, geothermally heated groundwater onto the surface of the Earth. The groundwater is heated either by shallow bodies of magma (molten rock) or by circulation through fault (geology), faults to hot rock deep in the Earth's crust. Hot spring water often contains large amounts of dissolved minerals. The chemistry of hot springs ranges from acid sulfate springs with a pH as low as 0.8, to alkaline chloride springs saturated with silica, to bicarbonate springs saturated with carbon dioxide and carbonate minerals. Some springs also contain abundant dissolved iron. The minerals brought to the surface in hot springs often feed communities of extremophiles, microorganisms adapted to extreme conditions, and it is possible that life on Earth had its origin in hot springs. Humans have made use of hot springs for bathing, relaxation, or medical therapy for th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Volcanism Of Iceland
:''The volcano system in Iceland that started activity on August 17, 2014, and ended on February 27, 2015, is Bárðarbunga.'' :''The volcano in Iceland that erupted in May 2011 is Grímsvötn.'' Iceland experiences frequent volcanic activity, due to its location both on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary, and being over a hotspot. Nearly thirty volcanoes are known to have erupted in the Holocene epoch; these include Eldgjá, source of the largest lava eruption in human history. Some of the various eruptions of lava, gas and ash have been both destructive of property and deadly to life over the years, as well as disruptive to local and European air travel. Volcanic systems and volcanic zones of Iceland Holocene volcanism in Iceland is mostly to be found in the ''Neovolcanic Zone'', comprising the Reykjanes volcanic belt (RVB), the West volcanic zone (WVZ), the Mid-Iceland belt (MIB), the East volcanic zone (EVZ) and the North volcanic zone (NVZ). ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Waterfalls Of Iceland
Iceland is well suited for waterfalls (Icelandic: s. ''foss,'' pl. ''fossar''). This Nordic island country lies along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which separates North America and Europe near where the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans meet. Frequent rain and snow is caused by its near-Arctic location. Large glaciers exist throughout the country whose summer melts feed many rivers. As a result, it is home to a number of large and powerful waterfalls. It is estimated that there are more than 10.000 waterfalls in Iceland. North * Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Iceland. * Gljúfursárfoss * Selfoss * Hafragilsfoss * Goðafoss * Aldeyjarfoss South * Faxi or Vatnsleysufoss in Tungufljót river * Foss á Síðu * Gluggafoss * Gljúfrafoss * Gjáin has many small waterfalls * Gullfoss (''Golden Falls'') * Háifoss (''High Falls'') * Hjálparfoss * Kvernufoss * Merkjárfoss * Ófærufoss used to be noted for the natural bridge which stood above the falls, but it col ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Earthquakes In Iceland
Some notable earthquakes in Iceland have been during earthquake swarms with several earthquakes having very similar magnitude and contributing to human injury, death and/or property damage. Accordingly, the largest earthquake may be shown on this page rather than ones that also contributed to the notability. Notable earthquakes in Iceland tend to be close to population centres and therefore do not reflect the full distribution of the high local seismic activity. This distribution includes the transform faults in the South Iceland seismic zone (SISZ) and Tjörnes fracture zone, as well as activity in volcanic rift zones. Geology Iceland lies on the spreading axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) where it is influenced by the Iceland hotspot, a major mantle upwelling. The active spreading axis of the MAR is moving westward with respect to the hotspot. This means that the active rifts above the hotspot have progressively jumped towards the east, causing the development of tw ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
List Of Cities And Towns In Iceland
Most Municipalities of Iceland, municipalities in Iceland include more than one settlement. For example, four localities (Selfoss (town), Selfoss, Stokkseyri, Eyrarbakki, and Municipalities of Iceland, Tjarnabyggð) can all be found in the municipality of Árborg. A number of municipalities only contain a single locality, while there are also a few municipalities in which no localities exist. All localities in Iceland can only be located within a single municipality, i.e. they cannot straddle multiple municipality borders. Some municipalities, such as Hafnarfjörður and Akranes, also share the same name with a locality. However, these localities are not always situated in their namesake municipalities. In those cases, this does not necessarily mean that they there are no other localities included in that particular municipality. Even when they are the only locality there, they do not always encompass the span of that municipality's entire land area. List of localities The ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Golden Circle (Iceland)
The Golden Circle ( ) is a tourist route in southern Iceland, covering about looping from Reykjavík into the southern uplands of Iceland and back. It is the area that contains most tours and travel-related activities in Iceland. The term for the "Golden Circle" was a marketing tactic developed by the Icelandic Tourism board to improve travel. The three primary stops on the route are the Þingvellir National Park, the Gullfoss waterfall, and the geothermal area in Haukadalur (Bláskógabyggð), Haukadalur, which contains the geysers Geysir and Strokkur, which erupts every 10-15 minutes. Though Geysir has been mostly dormant for many years, Strokkur continues to erupt every 5–10 minutes. Other stops include the Kerið volcanic crater, the town of Hveragerði, Skálholt cathedral, and the Nesjavellir and Hellisheiðarvirkjun geothermal power plants. See also * Diamond Circle References * {{cite web , title=Comprehensive guide on Golden Circle , url=https://www.buubble.co ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Þingvellir
Þingvellir (, anglicised as ThingvellirThe spelling ''Pingvellir'' is sometimes seen, although the letter "p" is unrelated to the letter thorn (letter), "þ" (thorn), which is pronounced as "th".) was the site of the Althing, Alþing, the annual parliament of Iceland from the year 930 until the last session held at in 1798. Since 1881, the parliament has been located within Alþingishúsið in Reykjavík. is now a national park in the municipality of in southwestern Iceland, about 40 km (25 miles) northeast of Iceland's capital, . is a site of historical, cultural, and geological significance, and is one of the most popular tourist destinations in Iceland. The park lies in a rift valley that marks the crest of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and the boundary between the North American Plate, North American and Eurasian Plate, Eurasian tectonic plates. To its south lies , the largest natural lake in Iceland. National Park ( ) was founded in 1930, marking the 1000th anniversary o ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
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 headwaters of the Blanda river, the hot springs of Hveravellir provide a warm oasis. Not far from Hveravellir, the Kerlingarfjöll, a volcanic mountain range, is situated to the north-east of the Kjölur road. History Like Sprengisandur highland road, the area was probably known since the first times of Icelandic settlement and is mentioned in the Icelandic sagas. A track along Langjökull was used as a shortcut between regions during summer. This is today known as ''Kjalvegur hinn forni'' (Old Kjalvegur) and is still in use for trekking and horse-riding. Piles of stones mark the track through the highland desert. After some people had perished in a snowstorm by the end of the 18th century, the Kjölur road was forgotten for about 100 ye ... [...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] |
Gullfoss
Gullfoss ("Golden Falls"; ) is a waterfall located in the canyon of the Hvítá, Árnessýsla, Hvítá river in southwest Iceland. It is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country, and is included in "Golden Circle (Iceland), Golden Circle" tours of the countryside near Reykjavík. History and description The Hvítá (Árnessýsla), Hvítá river flows southward, and about a kilometre above the falls it turns sharply to the west and flows down into a wide curved three-step "staircase" and then abruptly plunges in two stages (, and ) into a crevice deep. The crevice, about wide and in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running down the waterfall is per second in the summer and per second in the winter. The highest flood measured was per second. During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
2000 Iceland Earthquakes
Two earthquakes, both measuring , struck southern Iceland near the town of Selfoss on 17 and 21 June 2000. There were no fatalities but were multiple minor injuries and considerable damage to infrastructure. The two earthquakes were the first major seismic activity in Iceland in 88 years. Tectonic setting Iceland lies on the spreading axis of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) where it is influenced by the Iceland hotspot, a major mantle upwelling. The active spreading axis of the MAR is moving westward with respect to the hotspot. This means that the active rifts above the hotspot have progressively jumped towards the east, causing the development of two major transform zones in the north and south of the island. To the south the zone is the South Iceland Seismic Zone (SISZ), which has a west–east trend and is about 20 km wide. Most earthquakes in this zone are associated with movement on north–south trending right lateral strike-slip faults, although there is also evide ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
