Jökulsárgljúfur National Park () is a former national park situated in the north of

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 ...

around the river

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, ...

. It lies to the north of the

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 ...

waterfall. On 7 June 2008, it became a part of the larger

Vatnajökull National Park Vatnajökull National Park ( is, Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður ) is one of three national parks in Iceland. It encompasses all of Vatnajökull glacier and extensive surrounding areas. These include the national parks previously existing at Skaftafel ...

Geography

The area is of interest because of its chaotic canyon and volcanic mountains. Eight thousand years ago,

volcanic A volcano is a rupture in the crust of a planetary-mass object, such as Earth, that allows hot lava, volcanic ash, and gases to escape from a magma chamber below the surface. On Earth, volcanoes are most often found where tectonic plates a ...

fissures of the

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

volcanic system erupted directly underneath the river and

glacial ice A glacier (; ) is a persistent body of dense ice that is constantly moving under its own weight. A glacier forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. It acquires distinguishing features, such as ...

. This caused explosions and chaotic flooding. The center of the park was Vesturdalur with ''Hljóðaklettar'' (rock of echoes). ''Rauðhólar'' (red mountain) is of interest because of its special colouring due to iron oxidations. Another sight is the canyon of

Ásbyrgi Ásbyrgi () is a glacial canyon and forest in the north of Iceland, located approximately east of Húsavík on the Diamond Circle road. The horseshoe-shaped depression is part of the Vatnajökull National Park and measures approximately 3.5 ...

to the north of the park which is formed like a horseshoe.

Gallery

Vesturdalur-pjt.jpg, Rock formations in Vesturdalur Aerial View of Jökulsá á Fjöllum 21.05.2008 15-44-34.JPG, Rauðhólar (Vesturdalur)

References

External links

Travel guide
– on nat.is
Official Website of Vatnajökull National Park
Canyons and gorges of Iceland National parks of Iceland Former national parks Protected areas disestablished in 2008 North Volcanic Zone of Iceland {{Europe-protected-area-stub