Volcanic Activity

Iceland is one of the most active volcanic countries in the world.

There are over hundred volcanoes on Iceland’s central plateau, most of which have not erupted in the past thousand years. However, between 30 and 40 are still active, meaning that they have erupted within last few centuries. 18 volcanoes have erupted since the settlement of Iceland. 

On average, Iceland experiences a major volcanic event once every 5 years. Since the Middle Ages, a third of all the lava that has covered the earth's surface has erupted in Iceland.

Mt. Hekla - the most active volcano in Iceland

The most famous and active volcano in Iceland is mount Hekla, which has erupted 18 times since 1104, the last time in the yar 2000. Other active volcanoes, measured in terms of the number of eruptions besides Hekla, are Grímsvötn, Katla, Askja and Krafla. Katla has erupted about 20 times since the settlement of Iceland and according to many scientists, an eruption in Katla is to be expected in the next few years.

A volcano in Heimaey island, one of the Vestmannaeyjar Islands off the south coast, had not been active for about 5,000 years when it suddenly erupted in 1973. Heimaey is the largest of the Vestmanneyjar Islands, and the only one that is inhabited.

The largest recorded lava flow in world history occurred in the summer of 1783, when a 25-km crater row, Lakagigar, southwest of Vatnajökull, poured out 3 cubic miles of lava. This is the greatest lava flow that has ever been witnessed on Earth, at least in the last millennium. The lava-field created by the eruption covered 580 km², with a total volume of 12 km³. During the summer of 1783, a bluish haze from the eruption covered Europe and Western Asia, causing difficulties in agriculture in many areas.