Hjálparfoss () is one of several waterfalls in the south of Iceland situated in the lava fields north of the
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 ...
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 ...
near the point where the rivers Fossá and
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 ...
join. Hjálparfoss is located about east of the village
Flúðir and can be reached by a gravel road off
Route 32 that winds through the Vikrar lava fields. About south of Hjálparfoss lies
Þjófafoss
Þjófafoss (, "thieves' waterfall"; also Thjofafoss) is located on the river Þjórsá on the east side of the Merkurhraun lava fields in the south of Iceland, at the southwest tip of the hill Búrfell. A viewing point for the waterfall can be ac ...
; further east are
Háifoss
Háifoss () is a waterfall situated near the volcano Hekla in southern Iceland. The waterfall Granni is next to it. The river ''Fossá'', a tributary of Þjórsá, drops here from a height of 122 m. This is the fourth highest waterfall of the isla ...
on the Fossá and
Tangafoss on the Þjórsá.
Just downstream from Hjálparfoss is Iceland's second-largest
hydroelectric power station
Hydroelectricity, or hydroelectric power, is electricity generated from hydropower (water power). Hydropower supplies one sixth of the world's electricity, almost 4500 TWh in 2020, which is more than all other renewable sources combined and ...
,
Búrfellsstöð.
See also
*
Waterfalls of Iceland
Iceland is unusually suited for waterfalls (Icelandic: s. ''foss,'' pl. ''fossar''). This island country has a north Atlantic climate that produces frequent rain and snow and a near-Arctic location that produces large glaciers, whose summer mel ...
*
List of waterfalls
This list of notable waterfalls of the world is sorted by continent, then country, then province, state or territory. A waterfall is included if it has an existing article specifically for it on Wikipedia, and it is at least high, or the fa ...
External links
Information on Búrfellsstöðfrom
Landsvirkjun
Landsvirkjun, () the National Power Company of Iceland, is Iceland's largest electricity generator. Landsvirkjun operates 18 power plants in Iceland concentrated on five main areas of operation.
History
Landsvirkjun was founded on 1 July 1965 b ...
(in Icelandic)
Images of Hjálparfosson
Flickr
Flickr ( ; ) is an American image hosting and video hosting service, as well as an online community, founded in Canada and headquartered in the United States. It was created by Ludicorp in 2004 and was a popular way for amateur and professional ...
Waterfalls of Iceland
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