South Iceland - sand plains to glacial lagoons2-5 days tours around the magical geology of south Iceland
East of Reykjavik lies a mountain named Hengill. Hengill is made from a Palagomite tuff and its higest point is around 800 meters over sea level. Hengill is a central volcano and under it is a giant magma chamber. The Hengill area is one of the largest and powerful geothermal areas in the world. The surface of the area consists of several thousand hot springs and two geothermal plants get their energy from the power generating from the magma chamber. North of Hengill is Nesjavallavirkjun geothermal plant and to the south is Hellisheidarvirkjun geothermal plant. Hellisheidarvirkjun geothermal plant generates electricity produced by geothermal steam that vents from the ground. The plant is located close to highway nr.1. The plant started in 2006 but the productivity of the plant has risen year to year ever since and generates now over 300 megawatts of electricity. We will stop by the plant and take a tour around it. Around the town of Hveragerdi are a number of interesting hot springs, both mud pools, hot water springs, steaming vents and geysers. We will take a sightseeing tour around the town and look at the multitude of hot springs and green houses located in the town. We will drive over Olfusa river, which has the most volume of water per second of all rivers in Iceland, 420 cubic meters per second. The bridge over the river was built in 1891 and still functions as such even though the car has taken over the duty of transportation from the icelandic pony. The town of Selfoss rose around the bridge after its construction. Selfoss is now the largest town in southern Iceland with around 6500 inhabitants. The town of Selfoss sits on top of a lava field that flowed from the highlands about 8700 years ago. The lava field of Thjorsarhraun covers over 1000 sq. kilometers and 26 cubic kilometer. Thjorsarhraun lava field is one of the largest lava fields that have flowed in Iceland since the last ice age. Our tour takes us over the Thorsa river which is the longest of all rivers in Iceland, around 230 kilometers long and has around 370 cubic meters of water per second. Several large hydroelectric plants are located around Thjorsa river. Seljalandsfoss waterfall cascadesfrom ancient sea cliffs over 60 meters down to a shallow pool. It is possible to take a walk behind the waterfall and the scenery there is really beautiful. East of Seljalandsfoss waterfall lies a fertile countryside and north of there rises the beautiful Eyjafjallajokull glacier, 1666 meter over sea level. This glacier is the sixth largest in Iceland. A magma chamber is located under the mountain which the glacier lies on top of and there have been 2 major eruptions there in historic time, in the year 1612 and again from 1821-1823. To the south, out at sea,lie the islands of Vestmannaeyjar, that where formed in a sub-aquatic eruption. The last eruption there was in 1973 but 10 years earlier the island Surtsey was formed in a sub-aquatic eruption. That island is the southernmost point of Iceland. At Skogar is Skogarfoss waterfall. Skogarfoss waterfall cascades around 65 meters down from ancient sea cliffs and is by many considered to be one of the most beautiful waterfalls in Iceland. At Skogar we will find two museums, a communal museum established 1949 and a transportation museum. Interesting museums to visit. Myrdalsjokull glacier is the fourth largest glacier in Iceland. Under it lies the central volcanic system of Katla, which has erupted upon several dates in historic time, last October 12th 1918. Another eruption in Katla is imminent in the near future. Southwest of Myrdalsjokull glacier lies Solheimajokull glacier. Solheimajokull is a creeping glacier and from it flows the river Jokulsa down to the lowland. We will hike up to the glacier and upon it and see how the glacier has carved out the surrounding nature. Dyrholaey is a small but majestic peninsula and it is the southernmost point of the mainland. It is 120 meters high and is a home to many breeds of seabirds. Dyrholaey was formed in a sub-aquatic eruption about 100 thousand years ago. The translation of Dyrholaey's name into English could be Doorway Island, and that name-gift is because of the hole or the doorway the ocean has carved into the cliff. The ocean now flows through that doorway. Dyrholaey was put on a national conservation list in 1978. A lighthouse was built on the peninsula in 1910 and then rebuilt in 1927. A road leads up to the top of the peninsula and from there you have a great view to all directions. Near the village of Vik in Myrdalur is a sandy beach that has some fantastic sights, such as aqua tubes and caves and also picturesque columnar basalt formations. The beach is eroding and the ocean is always creeping more towards the houses of the village. From the beach is a view to the magnificent Reynisdrangar peaks but they're a series of black basalt columns out at the sea. The beach is is considered by many to be one of the more beautiful beaches in Iceland. Myrdalssandur sand plains is a 700 square kilometers of black lava sand and ashes formed by the glacial rivers and their frequent glacier runs from Katla volcano. The crater of Katla, which is about 100 sq. kilometers in size and almost 700 meters deep is filled with ice. Katla central volcanic system has erupted around 20 times since Iceland was settled, last eruption happened in 1918. When the eruptions occur a huge glacier runs follow and a great amount of ice, ashes and sand flows down to the lowlands. Most of the Myrdalssandur sand plains has been formed because of all the material brought down by the glacier runs. East of Myrdalssandur we'll find Eldgjarhraun lava field, which happens to be the largest amount of lava on Earth to flow from a single eruption in historic time. The lava field was formed in one massive eruption in the year 934 in the volcanic rift of Eldgja which is almost 60 kilometers long. The lava field's size is somewhere between 18-19 cubic kilometers. East of Eldgjahraun lava field and the glacier river of Kudafljot, we'll find the historic lava field of Skaftareldahraun which was formed in a huge eruption in the Lakagigar crater-row. The eruption started June 8th 1783 and lasted until February 7th 1784. A lot of farms and their farming areas were destroyed in the aftermath of the eruption because of ash-fall and most of the livestock died subsequently. The lava field remains all 656 sq. kilometers and 14 cubic kilometers of it. Fjadrargljufur river gorge is by the road to Lakagigar crater row. The river Fjadra cascades down the cliff-side into the spectacular gorge beneath. A fun hike to participate in trekking the gorge. Landbrotsholar hills around Kirkjubaejarklaustur is one of the largest pseudo-crater areas in the world. Pseudo-craters are formed when a molten lava flows over a bog, a lake or even a river. The precipitation seeps into the molten material, which boils up and explodes. The lava forms into a tephra materials which piles up. The Landbrotsholar hills are a part of the Eldgjarhraun lava field mentioned earlier. Just east of Kirkjubaejarklaustur is the black basalt columnar floor formation Kirkjugolf which is around 80 square meters. The translation of the name is "church floor" although a church has never stood there. But the basalt columnar floor looks like it has been laid by human beings, that is the reason for the name of this natural wonder. Dverghamrar are a peculiar columnar basalt rock formation, created by the surging sea when the status of the ocean was higher around the last ice age. Dverghamrar columnar basalt formations are now on a conservation list. The glacial river Hverfisfljot splits two lava fields apart Skaftareldahraun and Nupahraun which was formed in a massive eruption around 5000 years ago. The crater row that was formed in this eruption is sometimes named Raudholar or "Red Hills" and is now partially under the glacial tongue of Sidujokull glacier which is a part of Vatnajokull glacial ice cap, but that glacial tongue had not yet formed when the eruption occurred. The crater row is well over 30 kilometers long. The lava field of Nupahraun is 230 sq. kilometers in size, the volume is 6-7 cubic kilometers which makes Nupahraun lava field the 13th largest in Iceland. Lomagnupur is a 767 meter high mountain on Skeidararsandur sand plains. We'll take a closer look at an avalanche of rocks that fell from the mountain in July 1789 but that summer a multitude of tremors quaked through the southern part of Iceland. East of the mountain are two major river works Nupsvotn and Gigjukvisl on Skeidararsandur sand plains. The water that once flowed through the riverbed of Skeidara river now flows into the riverbed of Gigjukvisl. The bridge over Gigjukvisl was swept away by the bulging river in a massive glacier run in 1996 after an eruption in Gjalp in Vatnajokull glacier ice cap. Skeidararsandur is an enormous sand plain that reaches from Skeidararjokull glacier to the sea. Skeidararsandur sand plain is formed like other sand plains in this region from glacier runs and is the largest sand plain in the world and covers 1300 km². Several eruptions under the glacier have caused glacier runs, the last one in 1996 and are originated in Grimsvotn central volcano system. Closest to the glacier the sand plain is really rocky, with massive boulders but the further you get to the sea it transforms into gravel and mud. There is also very little vegetation on Skeidararsandur sand plain. The sand plain closest to the sea is important to the seal population around the island, for the seals use it a nursing ground for their newborn pups. The sand plain is also the largest breeding ground for the Great Skua in Iceland. The bridge over Skeidara river is the longest in Iceland, about 900 meters long. Very little water is in the riverbed since the river now flows by the glacier and joins Gigjuhvisl river. The National Park of Skaftafell was established in 1967 and is the largest of its kind in Europe, around 5000 square kilometers. The glacier tongues of Skeidararjokull glacier, Morsarjokull glacier and Skaftafellsjokull glacier give the National Park a majestic scenery and there are few places in Iceland where you can more easily get in contact with the great whites of Iceland. In Skaftafell National Park you'll find many hiking paths, both easy and hard ones. Oraefajokull glacier is a central volcano with a crater. The summit of Oraefajokull glacier is named Hvannadalshnjukur, 2110 meters high and the highest of all peaks in Iceland. Oraefajokull glacier has erupted twice in historic calendar, first in 1362 and then again in 1727. East of Oraefajokull glacier are several glacier tongues, such as Stigarjokull glacier, Holarjokull glacier, Kviarjokull glacier, Hrutarjokull glacier and Fjallsjokull glacier. Due to the retreat of the glaciers because of global warming a glacial lake has formed in front of Kviarjokull glacier and Fjallsjokull glacier. Breidamerkurjokull glacier is the largest amongst Vatnajokull ice cap's glacier tongues. Around 100 years ago the glacier tongue almost reached to the sea but at that time it was only about 200 meters between the surf of the ocean and the tip of the glacial tongue. The glacier started to retreat at the start of last century. A lagoon formed in front of the glacial tongue in 1935. The lagoon was 8 sq. kilometers in 1975 but today it is 20 sq. kilometers. The lagoon is the deepest lake in Iceland, 248 meters deep. A top of it floats uncountable amount of icebergs, which we will take a closer glimpse at while we sail around the lagoon.
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