Eyvindarstaðaheiði is an expansive

plateau In geology and physical geography, a plateau (; ; : plateaus or plateaux), also called a high plain or a tableland, is an area of a highland consisting of flat terrain that is raised sharply above the surrounding area on at least one side. ...

and

rangeland Rangelands are grasslands, shrublands, woodlands, wetlands, and deserts that are grazed by domestic livestock or wild animals. Types of rangelands include tallgrass and shortgrass prairies, desert grasslands and shrublands, woodlands, savanna ...

located between the

Blanda The Blanda () is a river in Iceland which flows northwards from the northwest side of the Hofsjökull glacier into Húnaflói bay at Blönduós. The Blanda is one of the longest rivers in the country, with a length of about 125 km, and has a ...

river in

Austur-Húnavatnssýsla 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 ( ...

and

Vestari-Jökulsá Vestari-Jökulsá or Jökulsá vestri (English: Western Glacier River) is a glacier river in Skagafjörður, Iceland. It originates in the northwest corner of Hofsjökull and is formed from many branches that fall together and flow northward. The ...

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, Skagi Peninsula to the west. Ther ...

Iceland Iceland is a Nordic countries, Nordic island country between the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between North America and Europe. It is culturally and politically linked with Europe and is the regi ...

. It is close to the

Hofsjökull __NOTOC__ Hofsjökull (Icelandic language, Icelandic: "temple glacier", ) is the third largest ice cap in Iceland after Vatnajökull and Langjökull and covers the largest active central volcano in the country, which has the same name. It is si ...

glacier at a lower elevation than the common grazing pastures in Skagafjörður and Húnavatnssýsla.

Geography

Eyvindarstaðaheiði is the easternmost of the plains that encompass the plateau from the north of

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

glacier and

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 ...

. Auðkúluheiði plateau is west of Eyvindarstaðaheiði and east of that is Hofsafrétt. The plateau used to belong to Eyvindarstaðir in Blöndudalur valley, from which it derives its name. The area's grazing land is held collectively between Húnavatnssýsla and Skagafjörður counties, which border it. The landscape on the western side of the plateau is shaped by the glaciers and is widely covered with thick

moraine A moraine is any accumulation of unconsolidated debris (regolith and Rock (geology), rock), sometimes referred to as glacial till, that occurs in both currently and formerly glaciated regions, and that has been previously carried along by a gla ...

and sedimentary layers. The land there is flat, level, and covered in a decent amount of vegetation. Most of the area is about 400–500 meters above sea level. The western side follows the northern side of Blöndudalur and

Svartárdalur Svartárdalur is a valley deeper into the interior of Skagafjörður, Iceland. It was previously a part of Lýtingsstaðahreppur Lýtingsstaðahreppur was a hreppur, an old Icelandic municipality, in the interior of Skagafjörður County, I ...

valleys in Austur-Húnavatnssýsla and ends in the ridge that separates the valleys. The eastern side of the plateau is largely elevated and stony, with little vegetation, and several valleys intersect it. Quite a few rivers and lakes run through the plateau. The easternmost is Vestari-Jökulsá, which originates in various branches along Hofsjökull and flows in a deep ravine around Goðadaladalur valley down through

Vesturdalur Vesturdalur ("west valley") is a valley that runs from the head of Skagafjörður, Iceland and cuts far into the central Highlands of Iceland, highlands. Austurdalur valley runs parallel to it. The valleys are surrounded by tall, steep mountains ...

valley. The

Svartá The Svartá river ("Black River") is a spring creek on the inner, western side of Skagafjörður, Iceland. A considerable amount of spring water runs in the river up to the highland where it then begins to resemble a direct run-off river as it f ...

river in Skagafjörður originates in Svartá basins and flows down through the floor of the Svartádalur valley. The Svartá river in Húnavatnssýsla originates in so-called Bugar ("the

iver Iver is a civil parishes in England, civil parish in Buckinghamshire, England. In addition to the central nucleated village, clustered village, the parish includes the residential neighbourhoods of Iver Heath and Richings Park and the hamlets o ...

bends") and has various names from there on, including Svartá in Svartádalur. The river flows into the Blanda river where the Svartádalur and Blöndudalur valleys meet. Blanda is on the western border of the plateau. It originates from a number of branches and also flows into several

tributaries A tributary, or an ''affluent'', is a stream or river that flows into a larger stream ('' main stem'' or ''"parent"''), river, or a lake. A tributary does not flow directly into a sea or ocean. Tributaries, and the main stem river into which the ...

, including Strangakvísl, Haugakvísl and Galtará. Part of Eyvindarstaðaheiði and Auðkúluheiði was put to use for the Blöndulón reservoir in summer 1991. The reservoir is 57 kilometers squared and its surface is 500 meters above sea level. There are heavily trafficked roads around Eyvindarstaðaheiði leading through Skagafjörður, Svartðadalur, and Blöndudalur, both south to Route F35 and west of Stórisandur.

References

{{Authority control Skagafjörður Austur-Húnavatnssýsla Plateaus of Iceland