Grænalón

BW

The Grænalón one of the glacial lakes at the southern edge of Vatnajökull in Iceland. Its area is 18 km2. It lies underneath the mountain Grænafjall.

In contrast to the better-known as the Jökulsárlón glacial lakes but he is not on the coast, but in the highlands, at the northwestern end of the Skeiðarárjökulls.

Also near the Grænalón act active volcanoes, initiate repeatedly glacier run-off from this lake. Sometimes large Eisklötze reached from the Grænalón the level of Skeiðarásanders. A more significant glacier run took place in 1935. It is believed that the amount of gas flowing to the Sander water was a total of 1.5 km ³, ie the glacial lake emptied itself completely there. The largest measured to date glacier runs had a volume of about 3,000 m³ / sec. The water flows mainly east or west of the mountain Lómagnúpur into rivers Núpsvötn or Sula.

Near the lake there are numerous cold and hot springs, suggesting a high temperature thereat area under the Vatnajokull, which melts ice accordingly and thus is responsible for the glacier runs.

On his recovery he can reach a depth of up to 200 m, making it the third deepest lake in Iceland.