Glaciers in South Iceland

Sólheimajökull is an outlet glacier that descends from the southwest corner of Mýrdalsjökull. It is a so-called "climate glacier" responding quickly to climate change. Access to the glacier tongue is good because it reaches down to the lowlands, and possible to go hiking on the glaciers with tour operators from the parking lot.  Large and rapid changes have taken place on the glacier in recent years, and one clear example of this is the increased distance required to approach the glacier trail. Sólheimajökull has long been a research topic for glaciologists. Still, glacier research can tell us much about climate and climate change over the centuries. Still, the glacial history of Sólheimajökull is in many ways unusual compared to other Icelandic glaciers. Over a hundred years ago, the glacial footprints of the Sólheimajökull glacier lay considerably in front of the current car park.

Öræfajökull: Iceland’s highest mountainExtending south from the Vatnajökull icecap within Vatnajökull National Park and towering to around 2,110 m (6,922 feet), Öræfajökull is Iceland’s highest mountain. Its height actually varies with the season and the depth of snow and ice, since the peak itself, Hvannadalshnjúkur, is topped by ice which is thickest in spring and thinnest in autumn. The mountain and surrounding areas offer good skiing in winter and are very popular with walkers and hikers throughout the year. Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður  

Mýrdalsjökull Glacier and Katla VolcanoMýrdalsjökull is a glacier located in the south of Iceland. It is situated to the north of Vík í Mýrdal and the east of the smaller glacier Eyjafjallajökull. Its peak reaches 1493 m in height, and in 1980, it covered an area of 595 km². The view on a clear day is one of the prettiest in the world. Guided snow scooters, snowmobiles, Super Jeep, and ice-climbing tours are offered on the Myrdalsjökull glacier. Travelers on the glacier must be cautious about crevasses, and inexperienced travelers should not go alone. Weather conditions shift rapidly high winds, and snowstorms can appear in a flash all year round. The volcano Katla in the Mýrdalsjökull glacier, the volcano Katla erupts on average every 40 - 60 years. Sixteen eruptions have been recorded since the settlement of Iceland, the last in 1918, but there have probably been more. Katla is one of the most famous volcanoes in the country, and its eruptions usually have very serious consequences. It can be regarded as one of the most powerful volcanoes in the world and probably the largest active volcano in the northern hemisphere. During the eruption, the glacier above the volcanic vent melts, and the melted water collects under the ice cap until it makes its way out under the edge in a violent flood. These are called "jokulhlaup."The floodwater carries huge amounts of ice, rocks, silt, and sand. Most of the Mýrdalssandur sand plain has been formed by deposits in past floods. Katla has been showing signs of unrest recently, and some geologists suspect it might erupt soon since it is way overdue to erupt. Eruptions of Katla have taken place (since known and recognized human settlement): 1918, 1860, 1823, 1755-56, 1721, 1660-61, 1625, 1612, 1580, 1416, 1357, 1311, 1262, 1245, 1177, 950.

Jökulsárlón is a glacial lagoon by the ring road and was recently designated as a part of Vatnajökull National Park. It's still blue waters are a sight not to be missed, as it is dotted with icebergs from the edge of Breiðamerkurjökull, a part of the Vatnajökull glacier. The lagoon flows through a narrow gateway into the Atlantic Ocean, leaving the spectacular sight of the large chunks of ice on the black sandy beach. In wintertime, the fish-filled lagoon hosts a number of seals, which visit the lagoon for an easy meal. Year-round curious seals can be seen basking on the blue-tinted icebergs. The lagoon is accessible from the beach all year round, and so is the café on the banks of Jökulsárlón. For hikers, a marked hiking trail between Jökulsárlón and Fjallsárlón is recommended as a scenic trip through unforgettable surroundings. During the summer, the national park offers interpretive tours with a ranger. Check for information on the park homepage or social media. A word of warning - don't jump onto the ice floating in the lagoon. Some tourists think it’s okay to do it, but it is dangerous to play, and the ice can capsize, leaving you stuck beneath it in the ice-cold water. So let's be very careful here. Please heed the advice of the locals and never step on the ice in the lagoon!   Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður 

Langjökull is the country's second-largest glacier. Its accessibility is as good as it gets; however, no one should attempt driving up a glacier on their own. Many agencies offer tours that take you up the glacier in specially equipped vehicles with experienced glacier guides. You can choose from jeep excursions, glacier hiking, and snowmobiling. 

Scenic Fjallsárlón is a glacial lagoon largely within Vatnajökull National Park located around 10 km. west of Jökulsárlón, at the southern edge of Vatnajökull glacier. With the steep glacier tongue, Fjallsjökull coming down from Vatnajökull and all the way into the lagoon makes it a perfectly peaceful place for photos as well as enjoying the untouched nature. Fjallsárlón also offers boat tours on the lagoon as well as a bistro with fresh and tasty refreshments. 

Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Iceland and the largest glacier by volume in Europe. It covers approx 8 percent of Iceland, measuring an area of 7,700 km² (2021), with an average thickness of 400 m, and the highest point, Hvannadalshnjúkur, measures 2,110 m (6,921 ft.). Vatnajökull has around 30 outlet glaciers flowing from the ice cap, all of which bear a name; glaciers and outlet glaciers all have names that end in "jökull" in Icelandic.  Vatnajökull belongs to the Vatnajökulþjóðgarður (Vatnajökull National Park) and covers a large area surrounding the glacier, including the glacier itself. In 2019, Vatnajökull National Park was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. The National Park offers numerous exciting sites and is a must for all interested in Geology and beautiful, natural vistas.  

Heinaberg is a beautiful area that consists of Heinabergsjökull glacier, the glacial lagoon Heinabergslón, where you can go kayaking among the icebergs during summer, and stunning landscape. The Heinaberg area is part of Vatnajökull National Park.  The gorgeous glacial lagoon of Heinaberg, Heinabergslón, is accessible by car and is often studded with large chunks of glacier that break off the Heinabergsjökull glacier. The area offers excellent conditions for hikers, as it has several interesting hiking trails, along which one can see waterfalls, ravines, volcanic intrusions, and even, on a lucky day, a reindeer.   The gravel road from road no 1 to the glacial lake is not in service during the winter months. Therefore, one needs to be aware of changes in road conditions and accessibility. Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður  

Fláajökull is an outlet glacier from Vatnajökull. The area offers spectacular views of the ever-receding glacier that has receded 2 km during the last one hundred years, leaving a glacial lagoon in its wake. The area is, an excellent destination for all interested in witnessing how the glacier movement shapes the surrounding landscape. A marked hiking path connects the Fláajökull area with the Haukafell forestry project.

Hoffell is a farmland area characterized by a large outlet glacier named Hoffellsjökull and gabbro rock. Gabbro rock originated deep in the earth but is visible in the area due to the uplift of the area and glacial erosion, which gives the environment a greenish hue in the otherwise dark rocks. The Hoffell area is 15 kilometers from the town of Höfn. Driving or hiking north from Hoffell along the sands of Hoffellssandur, you will enjoy the spectacular scenery of mountain slopes carved out by earlier glaciers. Along the sands of Hoffellssandur, you will enjoy the stunning scenery of mountain slopes carved out by earlier glaciers. Along the way, a borehole is also constructed to extract geothermal water. Finally, you reach the ice of the glacier tongue, Hoffellsjökull, skirted by the numerous hiking trails of the Geitafell mountain. The area is partly within Vatnajökull National Park, preserved for outdoor recreation and is rich in vegetation, wildlife, and geological variety. The area’s many hiking trails offer a stunning view of the diverse, beautiful wonders it has to offer.  

The Eyjafjallajökull glacier is a 1651 m high glacier-capped stratovolcano. It is one of the smaller glaciers of Iceland. It is situated to the north of Skógar and to the south and west of the bigger glacier Mýrdalsjökull. The icecap of the glacier covers a volcano (1651m in height) that has erupted relatively frequently since the Ice Age. The crater of the volcano has a diameter of 3-4 km and the glacier covers an area of about 100 km². In June 1994 an earthquake swarm lasting for nearly a month occurred below the active volcano Eyjafjallajökull in South Iceland. It is otherwise a relatively quiet volcano – although it is not listed as being inactive. Eyjafjallajökull erupted in 1821-1823. The south end of the mountain was once part of the Atlantic coastline. As the sea has since retreated some 5 km, the former coastline has left behind sheer cliffs with a multitude of beautiful waterfalls, the best known of them being Skógafoss and Seljalandsfoss. In strong winds, the water of some of the smaller falls can even be blown up the mountain. It is one of the three glaciers that surround the Thorsmörk area - the other 2 being Myrdalsjökull and Tindfjallajökull. Specialized tours are arranged on the glacier for both skiing, super jeep tour, and hiking. One should never venture onto the glacier without guides and good knowledge of this kind of activity as this is a very dangerous area for inexperienced visitors. Eyjafjallajökull featured prominently in world news in 2010 when ash from its eruption halted air traffic in Europe. An ice cap with several outlet glaciers covers the caldera of Eyjafjallajökull with a crater diameter 3-4 km wide. The outlet glaciers, Steinholtsjökull and Gígjökull, descend from the main glacier and can be visited by 4x4 trucks along the F-road to Þórsmörk. The area between the glaciers Eyjafjallajökull and Mýrdalsjökull with volcanic craters, Magni and Móði, created in the first stage of the Eyjafjallajökull eruption in April 2010.