Torfajökull

Torfajökull contains a 14-kilometer diameter caldera at 1190 meters elevation, featuring geothermal springs emerging from beneath the ice sheet.

The most substantial eruption occurred 55,400 years ago, producing 250 cubic kilometers of lava and creating extensive rhyolitic formations across the region.

The name derives from Torfi Jónsson í Klofa, who fled to the highlands with his family during the 1493 plague in Iceland.

The glacier has decreased from 22 square kilometers in 1890 to 8 square kilometers today, with ongoing annual thinning of two meters.

The volcanic structure intersects with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rift zone and South Iceland seismic zone, producing temperatures exceeding 340 degrees Celsius.

Location: Rangárþing ytra

Elevation above the sea: 1,190 m

Made from material: rhyolite

GPS coordinates: 63.88154,-19.00971

Latest update: March 3, 2025 18:46