Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Glaciers of Southern Iceland

Mýrdalsjökull, Eyjafjallajökull, Tindfjallajökull, Torfajökull and Hekla

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
The Glaciers of Iceland

Part of the book series: Atlantis Advances in Quaternary Science ((AAQS,volume 2))

Abstract

This chapter has a detailed description of the types, shapes, sizes, locations, and all relevant scientific data of the glaciers in southern Iceland, as well as their recorded local histories, folklore and legends: Mýrdalsjökull, Eyjafjallajökull, Tindfjallajökull, Torfajökull and Hekla. Three of them are well-known for their glacier-volcanic interaction during both historical and recent times. Beneath Mýrdalsjökull (540 km2) is the Katla caldera, which has erupted 20 times since the settlement of Iceland and produced some of the most tremendous jökulhlaups on Earth, some of which are described here. Katla has also been the inspiration for many stories and legends in Icelandic culture. The last eruption of Eyjafjallajökull (70 km2), in 2011, produced ash that caused problems for air traffic worldwide. Tindfjallajökull (11 km2) covers a dormant volcano; its caldera was partly formed in a catastrophic event during the last glaciation. Torfajökull (10 km2) is situated in one of the largest geothermal areas in Iceland, and from the 15th to 18th centuries was shrouded in myths concerning highland bandits. The volcano has not erupted since the last glaciation, but has shown some activity with injections of magma through fissures to the northeast. Hekla, the most famous volcano in Iceland, has small glaciers on its summit and northern ridge and has produced jökulhlaups during eruptions. It has erupted 20 times since 1104, most recently in 1991.

The finest leaf in our laurel band, Katla, greatest wonder of this land ….

(Ólafsson 1832, p. 200).

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Árnason, J. (1961) [1862–64] Íslenzkar þjóðsögur og ævintýri. 6 vols. In Á. Böðvarsson & B. Vilhjálmsson (Eds.), Reykjavík: Þjóðsaga.

    Google Scholar 

  • Austmann, J. (1907–1915). Skýrslur um Kötlugos. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 186–294). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Björnsson, H. (1977). Könnun á jöklum með rafsegulbylgjum. Náttúrufræðingurinn, 47(3–4), 184–194.

    Google Scholar 

  • Björnsson, S., & Einarsson, P. (1974). Seismicity of Iceland. In L. Kristjánsson (Ed.), Geodynamics of Iceland and the North Atlantic Area (pp. 225–239). Dordrecht: Springer.

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  • Björnsson, S., & Einarsson, P. (1981). Jarðskjálftar—“Jörðin skalf og pípraði af ótta.” In Náttúra Íslands (2nd ed., pp. 121–155). Reykjavík: Almenna bókfélagið.

    Google Scholar 

  • Björnsson, H., Pálsson, F., & Guðmundsson, M. (2000). Surface and bedrock topography of Mýrdalsjökull, Iceland: The Katla caldera, recent eruption sites and routes of jökulhlaups. Jökull, 49, 29–46.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einarsson, G. (1960). Suðurjöklar. Árbók Ferðafélags Íslands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einarsson, O. (1971) [1585]. Íslandslýsing - Qualiscunque descriptio Islandiae. Pálsson, S. (trans.). Reykjavík: Bókaútgáfa Menningarsjóðs.

    Google Scholar 

  • Einarsson, P., & Björnsson, S. (1979). Earthquakes in Iceland. Jökull, 29, 37–43.

    Google Scholar 

  • Erlendsson, J. (1999) [1848] Katla eruption. In M. Loftsson (Ed.), Rit um jarðelda á Íslandi (pp. 101–119). Þorlákshöfn: Halla Kjartansdóttir.

    Google Scholar 

  • Eyþórsson, J. (1945). Um Kötlugjá and Mýrdalsjökul. Náttúrufræðingurinn, 15(4), 145–174.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grønlie, S. (Trans.) (2006). The book of the Icelanders: The story of the conversion. London: Viking Society for Northern Research.

    Google Scholar 

  • Grönvold, K., Óskarsson, N., Johnsen, S., Clausen, H., Hammer, C., Bond, G., et al. (1995). Ash layers from Iceland in the Greenland GRIP ice core correlated with oceanic and land sediments. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 135, 149–155.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Guðmundsson, J. (1907–1915). Sannferðug undirrétting um Kötlugjár jökulhlaup og þess verkanir. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 247–251). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Guðmundsson, Ó., Brandsdótttir, B., Menke, W., & Sigvaldsson, G. (1994). The crustal magma chamber of the Katla volcano in South Iceland revealed by seismic undershooting. Geophysical Journal International, 119, 277–296.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hákonarson, M. (1860). Kötluhlaup á Sólheimasandi. Íslendingur. July 19, 1(8), 61–62 and July 26, 1(9), 67.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hammer, C. (1984). Traces of Icelandic eruptions in the Greenland ice sheet. Jökull, 3, 51–65.

    Google Scholar 

  • Hannesson, P. (1934). Kötlugosið síðasta. Náttúrufræðingurinn, 4(1), 1–4.

    Google Scholar 

  • Haraldsson, H. (1981). The Markarfljót sandur area, Southern Iceland. Sedimentological, petrographical and stratigraphical studies. Striae. 15, 1–65 (Doctoral dissertation. Uppsala University, Sweden).

    Google Scholar 

  • Horrebow, N. (1758). The natural history of Iceland. Anderson, J. (Trans.). London: A. Linde.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jakobsson, S. (1979a). Petrology of recent basalts of the Eastern Volcanic Zone, Iceland. Acta Naturalia Islandica. 26. Reykjavík: Náttúrufræðistofnun Íslands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jakobsson, S. (1979b). Outline of the petrology of Iceland. Jökull, 29, 57–73.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jóhannsson, G. (1919). Kötlugosið 1918. Reykjavík: Bókaverslun Ársæls Árnasonar.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jónsson, B. (1922). [1612] Skarðsárannáll 1400–1640. Annálar 1400–1800 (Vol. 1, pp. 49–272). Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Karlsson, Þ. (1994). Kötluhlaup 1918 – vangaveltur um eðli hlaupsins og hámarksreynsli. In Kötlustefna, February 26, 1994 (pp. 10–12). Reykjavík: Jarðfræðifélag Íslands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjartansson, G. (1945). Hekla. Árbók Ferðafélags Íslands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjartansson, G. (1951). The Eruption of Hekla 1947–1948. Water flood and mud flows. Rit Vísindafélags Íslendinga, 2(4), 1–51.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjartansson, G. (1967a). The changing level of Hagavatn and glacial recession in this century. Jökull, 17, 263–279.

    Google Scholar 

  • Kjartansson, G. (1967b). The Steinsholtshlaup, Central-South Iceland on January 15th, 1967. Jökull, 17, 249–262.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacasse, C., Sigurðsson, H., Jóhannesson, H., Paterne, M., & Carey, S. (1995). Source of Ash Zone 1 in the North Atlantic. Bulletin of Volcanology, 57, 18–32.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Larsen, G. (2000). Holocene eruptions within the Katla volcanic system, Iceland: Notes on characteristics and environmental impact. Jökull, 49, 1–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackintosh, A., Dugmore, A., & Jacobsen, F. (2000). Ice-thickness measurements on Sólheimajökull, southern Iceland and their relevance to its recent behaviour. Jökull, 48, 9–16.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnússon, Þ. (1907–1915) [1625]. Relatio Þorsteins Magnússonar um jöklabrunann fyrir austan 1625. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 200–215). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélagið.

    Google Scholar 

  • Magnússon, Á. (1955). Chorographica Islandica. [ca. 1702]. In Ó. Lárusson (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands (2nd series, Vol. 2). Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Markússon, K. (1952). Hvenær gýs Katla næst? Morgunblaðið, 39(249), 11.

    Google Scholar 

  • Mortensen, A., Bigler, M., Grönvold, K., Steffensen, J., & Johnsen, S. (2005). Volcanic ash layers from the last glacial termination in the NGRIP ice core. Journal of Quaternary Science, 20(3), 209–219.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nordal, S. (1928). Þangbrandur á Mýrdalssandi. Festskrift til Finnur Jónsson, 29. maj 1928. Copenhagen: Levin & Munksgaard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Nørlund, N. (1944) Islands Kortlægning. En historisk Fremstilling. Geodætisk Instituts Publikationer. 7. Copenhagen: Munksgaard.

    Google Scholar 

  • Óla, Á. (1928). Skatan í Þverá: sögur um Ögmund í Auraseli. Lesbók Morgunblaðs (pp. 9–11), 15 January.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ólafsson, E., & Pálsson, B. (1981). Ferðabók Eggerts Ólafssonar og Bjarna Pálssonar um ferðir þeirra á Íslandi árin 1752–1757. Steindórsson S. (Trans.). Reykjavík: Örn og Örlygur.

    Google Scholar 

  • Óladóttir, B., Larsen, A., Þórðarson, G., & Sigmarsson, O. (2005). The Katla volcano S-Iceland. Holocene tephra stratigraphy and eruption frequency. Jökull, 55, 53–74.

    Google Scholar 

  • Óladóttir, B., Larsen, A., Þórðarson, G., & Sigmarsson, O. (2008). Katla volcano, Iceland: Magma composition, dynamics and eruption frequency as depicted by the Holocene tephra layer record. Bulletin of Volcanology, 70, 473–493.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ólafsson, E. (1832). Kvæði Eggerts Olafssonar, útgefin eptir þeim beztu handritum er feingizt gátu. Copenhagen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pálsson, S. (1883) [1795]. Forsög til en Physisk, Geographisk og Historisk Beskrifelse over de islandske Isbiærge (1792–1794). Den norske Turistforenings Årbok 1882–1883. Kristiania. 116 pp.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pálsson, S. (1907–1915) [1826]. Lýsing á Kötlugjárgosinu 1823. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 264–294). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pálsson, S. (1945). Ferðabók Sveins Pálssonar. Dagbækur og ritgerðir 1791–1794. In J. Eyþórsson, P. Hannesson & S. Steindórsson (Trans. and Eds.). Reykjavík: Snælandsútgáfan. (Thesis on glaciers: pp. 423–552).

    Google Scholar 

  • Pálsson, S. (2004) [1795]. Williams, R and Sigurðsson, O. (trans.) Draft of a physical, geographical, and historical description of Icelandic Ice Mountains on the basis of a journey to the most prominent of them in 1792–1794. Reykjavík, Hið íslenzka bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pálsson, H., & Edwards, P. (Trans.) (1972). The Book of Settlements [12th-13th cent.]. Winnipeg: University of Manitoba Press.

    Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, R., & Sigmundsson, F. (2004). InSAR based sill model links spatially offset areas of deformation and seismicity for the 1994 unrest episode at Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland. Geophysical Research Letters, 31, L14610. doi:10.1029/2004GL020368.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Pedersen, R., & Sigmundsson, F. (2006). Temporal development of the 1999 intrusive episode in the Eyjafjallajökull volcano, Iceland, derived from InSAR images. Bulletin of volcanology, 68, 377–393.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Rist, S. (1967a). The thickness of the ice cover of Mýrdalsjökull, Southern Iceland. Jökull, 17, 237–242.

    Google Scholar 

  • Rist, S. (1967b). Jökulhlaups from the ice cover of Mýrdalsjökull on June 25, 1955 and January 20, 1956. Jökull, 17, 243–248.

    Google Scholar 

  • Robson, G. (1957). The Volcanic Geology of Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla. Doctoral dissertation. University of Durham.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sæmundsson, K. (1979). Outline of the geology of Iceland. Jökull, 29, 7–28.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sæmundsson, K. (1982). Öskjur á virkum eldfjallasvæðum á Íslandi. In H. Þórarinsdóttir, Ó. Óskarsson, S. Steinþórsson, & Þ. Einarsson (Eds.), Eldur er í norðri (pp. 221–239). Reykjavík: Sögufélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Salómonsson, J. (1907–1915). Skrif síra Jóns Salómossonar um hlaupið úr Mýrdalsjökli, Anno 1660. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til Sögu Íslands IV (pp. 216–219). Copenhagen & Reykjavík: Hið íslenzka bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schythe, J. (1847). Hekla og dens sidste Udbrud, den 2den September 1845. Copenhagen.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sephton, J. (Trans.) (1895). The Saga of King Olaf Tryggwason [sic]. London: David Nott.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigurðsson, J. (1907–1915). Relatio Jóns Sigurðssonar sýslumanns um Kötlugosið 1755. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 235–247). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigurðsson, H. (1978). Kortasaga Íslands frá lokum 16. aldar til 1848. Reykjavík: Bókaútgáfa Menningarsjóðs og Þjóðvinafélagsins.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sigurðsson, G. (Ed.). (1998). Eddukvæði. Reykjavík: Mál og Menning.

    Google Scholar 

  • Smith, K., & Haraldsson, H. (2005). A late Holocene jökulhlaup, Markarfljót, Iceland: Nature and impacts. Jökull, 55, 75–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Stefánsson, S. (1907–1915). Viðbætir Sigurðar Stefánssonar sýslumanns um hlaupin 1660 og 1721. In Þ. Thoroddsen, (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 230–233). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Steingrímsson, J. (1907–1915) [1788]. Um Kötlugjá. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 190–199). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið íslenska bókmenntafélag.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturkell, E., Einarsson, P., Sigmundsson, F., Geirsson, H., Ólafsson, H., Ólafsdóttir, R., et al. (2003a). Þrýstingur vex undir Kötlu. Náttúrufræðingurinn, 71(3–4), 80–86.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sturkell, E., Sigmundsson, F., & Einarsson, P. (2003b). Recent unrest and magma movements at Eyjafjallajökull and Katla volcanoes, Iceland. Journal of Geophysical Research, 108(B8), 2369. doi:10.1029/2001JB000917.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sveinsson, G. (1919). Kötlugosið 1918 og afleiðingar þess. Reykjavík: Stjórnarráð Íslands.

    Google Scholar 

  • Sveinsson, P. (1930). Kötluför, 2. September 1919. In B. Björnsson (Ed.), Vestur-Skaftafellssýsla og íbúar hennar (pp. 67–73). (Also in Jökull, 42, pp. 89–93, 1992).

    Google Scholar 

  • Sveinsson, E. (1947). Byggð á Mýrdalssandi. Skírnir, 121, 185–210. Från Mýrdalur. Scripta Islandica, 14, 42–49.

    Google Scholar 

  • Thoroddsen, Þ. (1925). Die Geschichte der isländischen vulkane: nach einem hinterlassenen Manuskript. Copenhagen: Høst & Søn.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tómasson, H. (1996). The jökulhlaup from Katla in 1918. Annals of Glaciology, 22, 249–254.

    Google Scholar 

  • Tryggvason, E. (1960). Earthquakes, jökulhlaups and subglacial eruptions. Jökull, 10, 18–22.

    Google Scholar 

  • Watts, W. (1875). Snioland or Iceland, its Jökulls and Fjalls. London: Longman.

    Google Scholar 

  • Þórarinsson, S. (1944). Tefrokronologiska studier på Island. Þjórsárdalur och dess förodelse. Copenhagen. Munksgaard. (Also published in Geografiska Annaler, 1944).

    Google Scholar 

  • Þórarinsson, S. (1957). The jökulhlaup from the Katla area in 1955 compared with other jökulhlaups in Iceland. Jökull, 7, 21–25.

    Google Scholar 

  • Þórarinsson, S. (1967). Hekla and Katla. The share of acid and intermediate lava and tephra in the volcanic products through the geological history of Iceland. Iceland and Mid-ocean Ridges. In S. Björnsson (Ed.), Rit Vísindafélags Íslendinga (Vol. 38, pp. 190–197).

    Google Scholar 

  • Þórarinsson, S. (1968). Heklueldar. Reykjavík: Sögufélagið.

    Google Scholar 

  • Þórarinsson, S. (1975). Katla og annáll Kötlugosa. Árbók Ferðafélags Íslands (pp. 125–149).

    Google Scholar 

  • Þorleifsson Þ., & Guðmundsson, E. (1907–1915). Skýrsla um Kötluhlaupið 1721. In Þ. Thoroddsen (Ed.), Safn til sögu Íslands IV (pp. 222–224). Copenhagen and Reykjavík: Hið Íslenzka bókenntafélagið.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Engineering and Natural Science, Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland

    Helgi Björnsson

Authors
  1. Helgi Björnsson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Helgi Björnsson .

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2017 Atlantis Press and the author(s)

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Björnsson, H. (2017). Glaciers of Southern Iceland. In: The Glaciers of Iceland. Atlantis Advances in Quaternary Science , vol 2. Atlantis Press, Paris. https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6239-207-6_5

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation