Torfajökull

Vondugil and Háalda

Kaldaklofsfjöll

The Torfajökull is a 1190 meter-high active volcano in the south of Iceland, north of Mýrdalsjökull. It is covered only partially by the eponymous glacier with an area of ​​15 km ². His area includes the warm springs of Landmannalaugar and Hrafntinnusker. The Torfajökull is located in the municipality of Rangárþing Ytra and Skaftárhreppur.

Shape and appearance of the volcano

The 12 km x 18 km wide caldera of Torfajökull created by the collapse of a magma chamber at a violent eruption during the last ice age.

The area of ​​Torfajökull comprises at 100 km ² the largest high-temperature areas in Iceland, which covers an area of ​​350 km ² the largest Rhyolithgebiet in Iceland as well as extensive obsidian lava flows.

The volcano is an exception among the Icelandic central volcanoes, since the ratio of is rhyolite to basalt lava in its domain, 4:1, in contrast to the ratio of 1:5 with most other central volcanoes in the country.

Eruption history

Ice age

The oldest verified outbreaks found in the system of Torfajökull about 100,000 years ago, ie, during the last ice age, instead. Here in interglacials Rhyolithlaven and corresponding Tephraschichten emerged.

Latter-day outbreaks

The last three series were documented outbreak associated with such a system in the Bárðarbunga, unless you count the nearby Veiðivötn such as the geologist Halldór Kjartansson to this system.

Around the year 200

1800 years ago, in the system of Torfajökull was the lava field Dómadalshraun, composed of basalt and Rhyolithlaven. At the same time Hnausagígar crater produced in the system of Veiðivötn basalt lava. Interestingly enough the eruption points in both systems arranged in a row. In fragments of tephra of these outbreaks can be found felsic, ie SiO2 - rich pumices associated with mafic, that is, basaltic ash are baked.

871

In the year 871, the next known outbreak occurred. This created a very distinctive ash layer, the so-called land grabbing ash layer ( Isl landnámslag ). The series of eruptions began in the system of Torfajökull. Then, there was very strong outbursts in the system of Bárðarbunga that created the crater row Vatnaöldur. In these volcanic events were both rhyolitic, light ash, which form the bottom layer of this layer of ash, and basaltic, dark ash that laid upon it.

This striking two-tone ash layer is used in the Tephrochronologie, especially as it around the time of the beginning of the colonization of Iceland entstand.Man, an example of a cross section through layers of earth about the Þjóðminjasafn, the National Museum of Iceland in Reykjavik, see.

There also some lava fields were produced, including the Hrafntinnuhraun.

1477

The last eruptions in the area occurred in the year 1477th This series began in the field of Veiðivötn with strong explosive eruptions, which then went into an effusive phase. Here, the Ljótipollur Maar and crater Stútur were active, among other things, the lava field Norðurhraun was created.

South of it there was at the same time outbreaks in Torfajökull area. The SiO2 - rich Obsidianlaven of Suðurhraun and Laugahraun between the hut and the Landmannlaugar Brennisteinsalda volcano come from this era.

It is believed that these outbreaks were caused by the volcanic eruptions took place shortly before the territory of the Veiðivötn, in turn, to the volcano system of Bárðarbunga belong, which is approximately parallel to the system and the Torfajökull eg Landmannalaugar is adjacent to this.

The water from the glacier flows among others in the Markarfljót in the Tungnaá.

Trekking path Laugavegur

The famous Laugavegur trekking trail leads above the glacier. Very many hot springs can be found on the road at Hrafntinnusker. Usually it is clay or sulfur sources as well as at the foot of the volcano Mount Brennisteinsalda, which is part of the Calder Arandes. Large Obsidianlavafelder accompany the way, about the Laugahraun at Landmannalaugar.