Hvannadalshnúkur

View from the Höfn on Öræfajökull and Hvannadalshnúkur

Height measurements

A long time he was high as 2,119 m, but after a new measurement on 4 August 2005, the amount was revised downwards. There must be, not even be a measurement error. Height and width changes are not uncommon in volcanoes. If fills a magma chamber beneath the volcano, he puffs up, for example. On the other hand, any further outbreak increase the height of the mountain - as recently happened around the year 2000 when the Icelandic volcano Hekla - or decrease - such as the eruption of Mount St. Helens in the USA in 1980.

The Hvannadalshnúkur is located in Skaftafell National Park and is part of the glacier Öræfajökull, which is part of Vatnajökull.

At the same time it is but when Öræfajökull around a huge central volcano. The volcano was built mainly during the Pleistocene eruptions under the ice and in ice-free periods.

Two strong eruptions are occupied since the settlement of Iceland ( 1362 and 1727), which temporarily put an end to the settlement in the area.

Summit

At its summit is a largely ice-covered hill from the acid, ie silicate- rich volcanic rock on the edge of the relatively small caldera. It towers above the plateau formed by ice at about 200 m.

The name of the summit is the summit of the valley of angelica ( Isl hvönn ). The valley is above the Svínadalur and below the ridge Hvannadalshryggur. Toward Svínadalur the terrain falls from Hvannadalshnúkur from from very steep and numerous valley glaciers extend from this down to the plain.

Landmark

One can see the volcano from the air from a distance, but he is pretty much on the southeastern tip of the country. The arriving aircraft from Europe usually control directly towards the mountain and turn it to its height to the west, to follow up Keflavík, where the international airport is located the curve of the southern coast.

Ascent

For the first time, the summit of the Norwegians Hans Frisak was climbed together with the Icelander Jón Arnason on 19 July 1813. However, a longer period passed without further attempts to FW Howell climbed the mountain in 1896. At the beginning of the 21st century, the mountain is one of the most sought after destinations in Iceland alpinists.

The summit is accessible via the glacier. Ari Trausti suggests, for example, two ascent routes from the south-west front, one on the Virkisjökull, the other on the upstream mountain Sandfell.