Vatnajökull

This area covers almost 10% of Iceland’s territory and is characterised by the coexistence and ongoing interaction of an active oceanic rift on land, a mantle plume, and an ice cap that have varied in size and extent over the past 2.8 million years. Earth system interactions are constantly modifying this area, creating remarkably diverse landscapes and a wide variety of plate-tectonic, volcanic and glaciovolcanic features. There are eight subglacial volcanoes. Some of them are among the most active in Iceland (e.g. Grímsvötn, Bárðarbunga; Gudmundsson, 2004). Particulary interesting and unique in this regard are the basaltic lava shields, volcanic fissures and cone rows, vast flood lavas, and features of ice-dominanted glacio-volcanism, such as tuyas and tindars. Geothermal heat and subglacial eruptions produce meltwater and jökulhlaups that maintain globally unique sandur plains, to the north and south of the Vatnajökull ice cap (~8000 km2), as well as rapidly evolving canyons. In addition, the area contains a dynamic set of glaciological and geomorphological features, created by 40 expanding or retreating outlet glaciers in response to climate change. These features can be easily accessed and explored at the snouts of Vatnajökull’s many glaciers and their forelands, especially in the southern lowlands (e.g., Skeiðarársandur).