Hengill

Hengill beyond the lake Þingvallavatn

Craters and islands of the Hengill system in the front and middle ground

Hengill ( Isl, hengidl spoken) is a volcano system in the southwest of Iceland. Basically, the area includes three active central volcanoes. The one lying on the municipality of Ölfus and Grímsnes above Grafningur is also known as Hengill, the other is called Hrómundartindur, a third is located in the Grensdalur.

It refers to the area in volcanology as Hengill triple point, because here the Reykjanes rift zone with the Westisländischen active volcanic zone (English Western Volcanic Zone ) coincides and both also on the Southern Icelandic warping and fracture zone ( engl. South Icelandic seismic transform zone) encounter.

• 6.1 Photos and Videos
• 6.2 Scientific contributions
• 6.3 trails and maps

The volcanic system

Sphere of influence

The volcano Hengill area extends over an area of ​​about 100 km in length with 3 to 16 km wide. His sphere of influence ranges from Selvogur to below the glacier Langjökull. So this would be the most important volcanic system on the Reykjanes Peninsula, if you are still one of these.

Eruption history

Four columns eruptions are occupied in the Hengill since the Ice Age about 10,000 years ago. They took place mainly on the north side of the volcano system. In the last eruption about 1,900 years ago but also the islands emerged on the east side of the central volcano in the lake Þingvallavatn, such as the largest of the islands in the lake, Sandey. In addition, the origin of the lava fields in this case is Nejsavellir, the so-called Nesjahraun. South of the mountain, the youngest lava appeared on the Hellisheiði.

Active volcano system

The area is still volcanically active, as can be seen in the numerous hot springs and fumaroles in the area. These are a high temperature area. So at about the Innstidalur between Hengill and Skarðsmýrarfjall one of the richest sources of steam in the country.

Between 1994 and 2002, it was found an unusually high number of earthquakes in the area of the Hengill triple point. In addition, GPS measurements demonstrated a significant bulge between the Hrómundartindar and Grensdalur systems. These signs of magma injections, however, could no longer be detected after 2002.

Adjacent volcanic systems

Two other older volcanic systems that were previously counted as additional parts for Hengillsystem, bordered to the east by that of the Hengill. Hrómundartindur with its high-temperature region below the volcano Tjarnarhnjúkur and on Ölkelduháls located in the northeast of him on the Hellisheiði. The small town of Hveragerði with its hot springs is located about 10 km east of the Hengill area of Grensdalur volcano.

On the Reykjanesskagi Peninsula bordering southeast to the Hengill volcanic system that of Brennisteinsfjöll. The holes are partially only 1-2 km apart on the Hellisheiði about the Reykjafjall ( Hengill ) or beyond the ring road at the panel volcano Stóri - Metill ( Brennisteinsfjöll ).

The mountain massif Hengill

The elongated, oriented from southwest to northeast mountain massif of the Hengill central volcano of the same volcanic system of the same name, located in the southwest of the lake Þingvallavatn. It is one of the highest mountains in the vicinity of Iceland's capital Reykjavik. Their highest peak, Skeggi, rises 803 meters above the sea.

The Hengill volcano itself is a panel which largely arose during the Ice Age under a glacier and is mainly composed of palagonite. It is surrounded by palagonite and Kissenlavarücken. The top layers are Olivinbasalt. Recent research showed that the mountain exists mainly in two glacial periods: the lower part probably comes from the penultimate glaciation ( Saalian time), the top is in subglacial eruptions in the last ice age ( Weichsel glaciation ) emerged.

In an adjoining peak, the Sleggja, you can also find Liparit.

Another central volcano is located south of the Hrómundartindur.

The area with its mountains and hot springs is a well known hiking area and therefore opened up well with hiking trails.

Geothermal use

The Hengill volcano is an important energy supplier for the south of the country.

This is used especially in the power plant of Nejsavellir that supplies together with the Svartsengi power plant on the Reykjavik Reykjanes peninsula with energy. The power plant of Nejsavellir on the western shore of the lake Þingvallavatn.

In addition, another even bigger power plant was built on the Hellisheiði, Hellisheiði power plant, which also makes use of the considerable energy Hengill. It was put into operation in 2008 and has a capacity of 214 MW.

Legends and Outlaws

In earlier times, Lawless said to have lived in the caves above the Innstidalur.

Also some word play in the area, so the folk tale about the troll woman Jora. You should have had the habit of waylaying innocent travelers on the way over the Dyrafjöll to eat them. However, it was eventually killed by a farmer in his sleep.