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Heiðarsporðar

Photo of this volcano
  • Country
  • Volcanic Region
  • Landform | Volc Type
  • Last Known Eruption
  • 65.583°N
  • 16.817°W

  • 490 m
    1,608 ft

  • 373082
  • Latitude
  • Longitude

  • Summit
    Elevation

  • Volcano
    Number

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Heiðarsporðar.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Heiðarsporðar.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Heiðarsporðar.

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.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 7 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

0300 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 2

Episode 1 | Eruption Threngslaborgir-Ludentsborgir crater row
0300 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Isotopic: 14C (calibrated)

List of 5 Events for Episode 1 at Threngslaborgir-Ludentsborgir crater row

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Explosion
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow violent, strong, or large
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow Entered water.
   - - - -    - - - - Cinder Cone
0300 BCE
(?)
   - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

4050 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption Ludent crater rows
4050 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Ludent crater rows

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
4050 BCE
(?)
   - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

5750 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption Fjarborg
5750 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Fjarborg

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
5750 BCE
(?)
   - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

6150 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption Drangagrundahraun
6150 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Drangagrundahraun

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
6150 BCE
(?)
   - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

6950 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption Hraunbunga
6950 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Hraunbunga

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
6950 BCE
(?)
   - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

7400 BCE ± 300 years Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption Heidarspordur
7400 BCE ± 300 years - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 2 Events for Episode 1 at Heidarspordur

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
7400 BCE ± 300 years    - - - - VEI (Explosivity Index)

7850 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption  

Episode 1 | Eruption Ludent, Namafjall-Krofluhals
7850 BCE (?) - Unknown Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Ludent, Namafjall-Krofluhals

Start Date End Date Event Type Event Remarks
   - - - -    - - - - Phreatic activity
   - - - -    - - - - Lava flow
   - - - -    - - - - Tephra
Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Heiðarsporðar.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Heiðarsporðar.

Photo Gallery

The Hverfjall tuff ring (foreground) developed during phreatomagmatic explosions at the southern end of a 23-km-long fissure. This tuff ring is the largest of the Krafla volcanic system, with a crater about 1 km wide. Lava-dammed Mývatn lake, in the background to the west, provides wildlife habitat and is renowned for its diversity of bird life. The lake has formed on lava flows from nearby Heiðarsporðar volcano, which surround Vindbelgjarfjall, the dome seen on the far side of the lake.

Photo by Michael Ryan, 1984 (U.S. Geological Survey).
The Ludent tuff ring, seen here from the west, formed in a phreatomagmatic eruption in the early Holocene. The Ludentsborgir crater row in the foreground formed during an eruption about 2,200 years ago which produced the massive lava flows that entered Mývatn lake and traveled about 60 km, reaching the northern coast of Iceland.

Photo by Michael Ryan, 1984 (U.S. Geological Survey).
The Laxarhraun lava field in the Heiðarspordar volcanic system covered much of the Lake Mývatn area and lava flowed down the Laxardalur canyon to the north coast. Numerous pseudocraters and rootless cones, some of which are seen here along the shore of the lake, formed as a result of secondary explosive activity when the lava flow encountered abundant groundwater. The massive 224 km2 flow, erupted about 2,000 years ago, forms all but the northern shoreline of the lake.

Photo by Michael Ryan, 1984 (U.S. Geological Survey).
Heiðarsporðar (Heidarspordar) is about 22 km in length, with a smaller area shown in this June 2019 Planet Labs satellite image monthly mosaic (N is at the top; this image is approximately 20 km across). Around 2,200 years ago it produced a lava field around 220 km2 in size, reaching 60 km away from the source. The darker area in the upper left corner is Mývatn lake.

Satellite image courtesy of Planet Labs Inc., 2019 (https://www.planet.com/).
GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

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.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Heiðarsporðar in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites