Reykjanes
- Iceland
- Iceland and Arctic Ocean
- Crater rows
- 1831 CE
- Country
- Volcanic Region
- Primary Volcano Type
- Last Known Eruption
- 63.85°N
- 22.566°W
- 140 m
459 ft - 371020
- Latitude
- Longitude
- Summit
Elevation - Volcano
Number
- Latest Activity Reports
- Weekly Reports
- Bulletin Reports
- Synonyms & Subfeatures
- General Information
- Eruptive History
- Deformation History
- Emission History
- Photo Gallery
- Map Holdings
- Sample Collection
- External Sites
The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports for Reykjanes.
The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Reykjanes.
The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Reykjanes.
This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.
Cones |
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| Feature Name | Feature Type | Elevation | Latitude | Longitude |
| Bergholl | Shield volcano | 37 m | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 44' 0" W |
| Haleyjabunga | Shield volcano | 30 m | 63° 49' 0" N | 22° 39' 0" W |
| Hrolfsvikurhraun | Shield volcano | 63° 50' 0" N | 22° 20' 0" W | |
| Lagafell | Shield volcano | 91 m | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 33' 0" W |
| Langholl | Shield volcano | 73 m | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 40' 0" W |
| Sandfellshaed | Shield volcano | 74 m | 63° 52' 0" N | 22° 35' 0" W |
| Skalafell | Shield volcano | 76 m | 63° 49' 0" N | 22° 42' 0" W |
| Thrainsskjöldur | Shield volcano | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 12' 0" W | |
| Vatnsheidi | Shield volcano | 140 m | 63° 51' 0" N | 22° 23' 0" W |
Craters |
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| Feature Name | Feature Type | Elevation | Latitude | Longitude |
| Arnarsetur | Crater Row | 80 m | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 25' 0" W |
| Badsvallagigir | Crater Row | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 25' 0" W | |
| Borgarhraun | Crater Row | 121 m | 63° 50' 0" N | 22° 19' 0" W |
| Dalahraun | Crater Row | 63° 52' 0" N | 22° 20' 0" W | |
| Eldeyjarbodi | Submarine crater | 63° 26' 0" N | 23° 50' 0" W | |
| Eldvorp | Crater Row | 60 m | 63° 51' 0" N | 22° 35' 0" W |
| Fellshraun | Crater Row | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 25' 0" W | |
| Geirfugladrangur | Submarine crater | 63° 26' 0" N | 23° 17' 0" W | |
| Grjothryggur | Submarine crater | |||
| Gullholl | Submarine crater | |||
| Haugur | Crater Row | 63° 52' 0" N | 22° 37' 0" W | |
| Hreidhur | Crater Row | 63° 50' 0" N | 22° 40' 0" W | |
| Illahraun | Crater Row | 40 m | 63° 52' 0" N | 22° 28' 0" W |
| Kalfellshraun | Crater Row | 63° 56' 0" N | 22° 19' 0" W | |
| Klofningahraun | Crater Row | 63° 50' 0" N | 22° 33' 0" W | |
| Langagrunn | Submarine crater | |||
| Melholl | Crater Row | 140 m | 63° 50' 0" N | 22° 25' 0" W |
| Raudholar | Crater Row | 40 m | 63° 50' 0" N | 22° 40' 0" W |
| Reykjaneshyggur | Fissure vent | 80 m | 63° 40' 0" N | 22° 20' 0" W |
| Stampar | Crater Row | 30 m | 63° 50' 0" N | 22° 42' 0" W |
| Steinaholl | Submarine crater | |||
| Stori-Brandur | Submarine crater | |||
| Sundhnukar | Crater Row | 100 m | 63° 53' 0" N | 22° 23' 0" W |
| Svartsengi | Fissure vent | |||
| Syrfellshraun | Crater Row | 63° 49' 0" N | 22° 40' 0" W | |
| Tjaldstadagja | Crater Row | 30 m | 63° 51' 0" N | 22° 39' 0" W |
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Eruptive History
There is data available for 22 Holocene eruptive periods.
| Start Date | Stop Date | Eruption Certainty | VEI | Evidence | Activity Area or Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| [ 1970 Jul 2 (?) ± 182 days ] | [ Unknown ] | Uncertain | 0 | Reykjaneshryggur (Eldeyjarbodi) | |
| [ 1966 Jul 2 ± 182 days ] | [ Unknown ] | Uncertain | 0 | Reykjaneshryggur (Eldeyjarbodi) | |
| 1830 Mar 13 (?) | 1831 Mar (?) | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur (Eldeyjarbodi) |
| 1783 May 1 (in or before) | 1783 Aug 15 ± 60 days | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur (Nyey) |
| [ 1661 Dec ] | [ Unknown ] | Discredited | |||
| 1583 Jul 15 ± 45 days | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur (near Eldeyjar Islands) |
| 1240 | Unknown | Confirmed | 1 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur, Arnarsetur, Illahraun |
| 1238 | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur |
| 1231 | Unknown | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur, R-10 tephra |
| 1226 Jul 15 ± 45 days | 1227 (?) | Confirmed | 4 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur, R-9 tephra |
| 1223 | Unknown | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur, R-8 tephra |
| 1211 | Unknown | Confirmed | Historical Observations | Stampar, Karlsgigur | |
| 1210 | Unknown | Confirmed | 3 | Historical Observations | Vatnsfellsgigur |
| 1179 (in or before) | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Historical Observations | Reykjaneshryggur, R-5 and R-6 tephras |
| 0920 (?) | Unknown | Confirmed | Tephrochronology | Reykjaneshryggur (near Eldey), R-4 tephra | |
| 0200 BCE (?) | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Radiocarbon (uncorrected) | Lambagjá |
| 0400 BCE ± 100 years | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Radiocarbon (uncorrected) | Sundhnukar |
| 1800 BCE ± 300 years | Unknown | Confirmed | 2 | Tephrochronology | Reykjaneshryggur, Stampar, R-2, R-3 tephras |
| 3800 BCE ± 300 years | Unknown | Confirmed | Tephrochronology | Reykjaneshryggur, R-1 tephra | |
| 4000 BCE (?) | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Tephrochronology | Sandfellshaed |
| 5040 BCE ± 100 years | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Radiocarbon (uncorrected) | Hopsnes |
| 8000 BCE (?) | Unknown | Confirmed | 0 | Tephrochronology | Thrainskjöldur |
Deformation History
There is no Deformation History data available for Reykjanes.
Emission History
There is no Emissions History data available for Reykjanes.
Photo Gallery
| The Reykjanes volcanic system at the SW tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level, comprises a broad area of postglacial crater rows and small shield volcanoes. Snow-covered Sandfellshæd shield volcano (lower center), capped by a small crater, rises only 74 m above the Atlantic Ocean to the south. Most of the volcanic system is covered by Holocene lava flows. Eruptions have occurred in historical time during the 13th century at several locations on the NE-SW-trending fissure system. Photo by Helgi Torfason (courtesy of Richie Williams, U S Geological Survey, published in Gudmundsson, 1986). |
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| The two westernmost of five NE-SW-trending volcanic systems on the Reykjanes Peninsula cut diagonally across this aerial photo. The Reykjanes volcanic system, which lies near the SW tip of the peninsula, where the Mid Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level, has produced Holocene lava fields that extend to the western and southern coasts. The Krísuvík volcanic system, on the right side of the photo, has produced several eruptions since the settlement of Iceland. The latest of these took place during the 14th century. Photo courtesy of Richie Williams (U.S. Geological Survey). |
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| The snow-mantled Reykjanes volcanic system forms the SW tip of the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level. The Reykjanes volcanic system is the westernmost of a series of four closely spaced, NE-SW-trending en echelon fissure systems that extend diagonally across the Reykjanes Peninsula. Most of the Reykjanes volcanic system is covered by Holocene lavas, and eruptions have occurred in historical time during the 13th century at several locations. Photo by Oddur Sigurdsson, 1998 (Icelandic National Energy Authority). |
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| The submarine Reykjaneshryggur volcanic system, lying off the SW tip of Iceland at the top of the photo, is part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which extends onto the Reykjanes Peninsula in the foreground. Numerous submarine eruptions at Reykjaneshryggur dating back to the 12th century have been observed during historical time, some of which have formed ephemeral islands. Tephra deposits from earlier Holocene eruptions are preserved on the Reykjanes Peninsula in the foreground. Photo by Oddur Sigurdsson, 1998 (Icelandic National Energy Authority). |
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GVP Map Holdings
The maps shown below have been scanned from the GVP map archives and include the volcano on this page. Clicking on the small images will load the full 300 dpi map. Very small-scale maps (such as world maps) are not included. The maps database originated over 30 years ago, but was only recently updated and connected to our main database. We welcome users to tell us if they see incorrect information or other problems with the maps; please use the Contact GVP link at the bottom of the page to send us email.
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Title: Geomorphology of Iceland Publisher: University of Goteborg, Dept Phys Geog Country: Iceland Year: 1984 Map Type: Geology (Geomorphology) Scale: 1:1,750 |
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Title: Geographical Names of Iceland Publisher: University of Goteborg, Dept Phys Geog Country: Iceland Year: 1984 Map Type: Unknown Scale: 1:1,750 |
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Smithsonian Sample Collections Database
The following 17 samples associated with this volcano can be found in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences collections, and may be availble for research (contact the Rock and Ore Collections Manager). Catalog number links will open a window with more information.
| Catalog Number | Sample Description | Lava Source | Collection Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| NMNH 115614 | Tholeiite | ARNARSETUR | -- |
| NMNH 115616 | Tholeiite | -- | -- |
| NMNH 115618 | Tholeiite | TJALDSTADAGJA | -- |
| NMNH 115619 | Tholeiite | SYRFELLSHRAUN | -- |
| NMNH 115621 | Tholeiite | STAMPAR | -- |
| NMNH 115622 | Olivine Tholeiite | LANGHOLL | -- |
| NMNH 115625 | Picrite Basalt | -- | -- |
| NMNH 115626 | Picrite Basalt | -- | -- |
| NMNH 115627 | Olivine Tholeiite | THRAINSSKJOLDUR | -- |
| NMNH 115628 | Olivine Tholeiite | THRAINSSKJOLDUR | -- |
| NMNH 115629 | Olivine Tholeiite | LANGHOLL | -- |
| NMNH 115630 | Olivine Tholeiite | LANGHOLL | -- |
| NMNH 115631 | Olivine Tholeiite | THRAINSSKJOLDUR | -- |
| NMNH 115632 | Olivine Tholeiite | THRAINSSKJOLDUR | -- |
| NMNH 115633 | Tholeiite | -- | -- |
| NMNH 115634 | Picrite Basalt | VATNSHEIDI | -- |
| NMNH 115636 | Picrite Basalt | HROLFSVIKURHRAUN | -- |
External Sites
| Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes (Link to Reykjanes) | The Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes is an interactive, web-based tool, containing information on volcanic systems that belong to the active volcanic zones of Iceland. It is a collaboration of the Icelandic Meteorological Office (the state volcano observatory), the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, and the Civil Protection Department of the National Commissioner of the Iceland Police, with contributions from a large number of specialists in Iceland and elsewhere. This official publication is intended to serve as an accurate and up-to-date source of information about active volcanoes in Iceland and their characteristics. The Catalogue forms a part of an integrated volcanic risk assessment project in Iceland GOSVÁ (commenced in 2012), as well as being part of the effort of FUTUREVOLC (2012-2016) on establishing an Icelandic volcano supersite. |
| MIROVA | Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity. |
| MODVOLC Thermal Alerts | Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales. |
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Sentinel Hub Playground
Sentinel Hub EO Browser |
The Sentinel Hub Playground provides a quick look at any Sentinel-2 image in any combination of the bands and enhanced with image effects; Landsat 8, DEM and MODIS are also available. Sentinel Hub is an engine for processing of petabytes of satellite data. It is opening the doors for machine learning and helping hundreds of application developers worldwide. It makes Sentinel, Landsat, and other Earth observation imagery easily accessible for browsing, visualization and analysis. Sentinel Hub is operated by Sinergise |
| IRIS seismic stations/networks | Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Reykjanes. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice. |
| UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations | Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Reykjanes. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player. |
| DECADE Data | The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO2 to the atmosphere, but installing CO2 monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere. |
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WOVOdat
Single Volcano View Temporal Evolution of Unrest Side by Side Volcanoes |
WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore. |
| Large Eruptions of Reykjanes | Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA). |
| EarthChem | EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS). |
