The land of fire and ice: A guide to volcanoes in Iceland

One of Iceland’s most impactful volcanic events, the 1362 eruption of Öræfajökull happened just a few centuries after the Norse people first settled in Iceland. The outcome was mass destruction of new settlements and loss of life, leading to the surrounding area becoming known as ‘wilderness’ or ‘wasteland’ (Öræfi). Today, Öræfajökull is still the largest active volcano in Iceland, resting under Vatnajökull glacier.

Erupting over the course of eight months between 1783 and 1784, the Laki fissure spat out lava and poisonous sulfur dioxide and hydrofluoric acid with devastating effects. One of the most famous – and worst – eruptions in Iceland’s recent volcanic history, this event wiped out livestock and crops, leading to a terrible famine and the death of around 20% of the population. In fact, the Laki eruption may even have contributed to the onset of the French Revolution, due to destruction of crops and livestock in Europe caused by the Laki dust cloud.

In 1875, the Askja volcano, located in the remote central highlands, experienced an explosive eruption, producing huge amounts of ash. The ash had a tremendous impact on agriculture in the country and with crops dying and food running out, many Icelanders chose to emigrate to North America in search of better living conditions – the biggest emigration in Icelandic history.

Another way that volcanoes impact Iceland’s history is their ability to increase the landmass of the island and even create new islands.

In 1918, the subglacial Katla volcano – one of the largest volcanoes in Iceland – erupted with such force that the resulting laharic flood deposits (made up of mud and debris from the eruption) extended Iceland’s southern coast by about 3 miles (~5km).

Something similar happened in 1973 when Eldfell erupted in Heimaey, part of the Vestmannaeyjar (Westman) Islands. The lava flow and ashfall destroyed 400 buildings in its wake and added another mile (~2km) to the island’s land area. The fissure could have led to far more damage, but thanks to preparation, almost all of the island’s 5,000 residents were evacuated in time.

Ten years earlier, another eruption in the area led to the creation of a new island in the Vestmannaeyjar archipelago, Surtsey. This island was formed by one of longest volcanic eruptions in Iceland, lasting from November 1963 to June 1967. Today, Surtsey is a Unesco protected site on the World Heritage List. It’s considered a laboratory: because it’s been protected since its formation, it provides the world with a pristine natural laboratory. Free from human interference, Surtsey has been producing unique long-term information on the colonization process of new land by plant and animal life.

An example of how a volcanic eruption in Iceland can have a global impact, Eyjafjallajökull erupted for around a month in the spring of 2010. Because the volcano sits under an ice cap, the eruption led to a massive ash cloud which caused flight disruption throughout Europe. Despite the travel chaos and some homes and roads being damaged, Iceland was well prepared and there were no casualties.

In 2011, one of Iceland’s most active volcanoes, Grímsvötn, released a huge ash plume, just like Eyjafjallajökull the year before. As people learnt lessons from the recent ash cloud, Grímsvötn caused less disruption (though it put out more ash than Eyjafjallajökull in a shorter amount of time).

In 2014, a fissure eruption began at Bárðarbunga, in the remote central highlands area of Iceland. The Bárðarbunga volcanic system is Iceland’s largest, and it’s primarily situated under the Vatnajökull ice cap. The 2014 eruption occurred just north of the glacier, and lasted six months. It created the largest lava flow field in Iceland since the 18th-century Laki eruption.

In recent years, several eruptions have occurred on the Reykjanes peninsula, starting with Fagradalsfjall in 2021. Nowadays, Iceland is very prepared for this kind of activity and while these eruptions can look quite dramatic, the scale of destruction or disruption is far less than before.

For more information, check out our page where we post regular updates on the most recent eruptions and volcanic activity.