Eyjafjallajökull

Eyjafjallajökull is one of the smaller glaciers of Iceland. It is situated to the north of Skógar and to the west of the bigger glacier Mýrdalsjökull.

The ice-cup of the glacier covers a volcano (1666m in height) which has erupted rather frequently since the ice-age. The last eruption was in 1821-23, causing a fatal glacier run. The crater of the volcano has a diameter of 3-4 km, the glacier covering an extension of about 100 km².

The south end of the mountain was once part of the Atlantic coastline. The sea now being in a distance of about 5 km from there, the former coastline left behind sheer cliffs with a multitude of beautiful waterfalls, the best known of them being Skógafoss. In case of stark winds, the water of minor falls is even sometimes blown up the mountain.

See also: Geography of Iceland

External Links:

• http://www.raunvis.hi.is/~mtg/eeyjafj.htm (engl./is.)
• http://hraun.vedur.is (actual seismographic activity in Iceland, engl./is.)