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Ljósufjöll

Ljosufjoll

Volcanic field · Iceland · 1063m

The Ljósufjöll volcanic system at the eastern end of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is contains a group of scoria cones and lava flows along a roughly 90-km-long WNW-ESE trend. The crest of the Ljósufjöll range is seen here from the south with glacial moraines descending the flanks.
The Ljósufjöll volcanic system at the eastern end of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula is contains a group of scoria cones and lava flows along a roughly 90-km-long WNW-ESE trend. The crest of the Ljósufjöll range is seen here from the south with glacial moraines descending the flanks. · Photo: Photo by Oddur Sigurdsson, 1983 (Icelandic National Energy Authority). · Wikimedia Commons
Type
Volcanic field
Country
Iceland
Region
Atlantic Ocean Volcanic Regions / Iceland Neovolcanic Rift Volcanic Province
Elevation
1063m
Coordinates
64.900, -22.483
Last eruption
960
Tectonic setting
Rift zone / Oceanic crust (< 15 km)
Landform
Cluster
Major rock type
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Geological summary

The Ljósufjöll volcanic system at the eastern end of the Snaefellsnes Peninsula is composed of a group of alkali olivine basaltic cinder cones and lava flows along short fissures on a roughly 90-km-long WNW-ESE line. The volcanic field is about 20 km wide at the eastern end and narrows to about 10 km on the west. It contains the largest outcrops of silicic rhyolitic and trachytic rocks in the Snaefellsnes volcanic zone, erupted during the mid- to late Pleistocene. Youthful-looking cinder cones and lava flows with morphologically pristine surfaces suggest numerous Holocene eruptions. The latest eruption post-dated the settlement of Iceland, and took place about 1,000 years ago.

Eruption history

Summary (VEI over time)
Click a bar to see individual eruptions
7050 BCE~6783 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 22244 BCE~1977 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 31977 BCE~1710 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 2909 BCE~642 BCE · 1 eruptions · max VEI 2693~960 · 1 eruptions · max VEI 27050 BCE5181 BCE3045 BCE1176 BCE693

Detailed timeline

  1. 960 (±10 yrs)VEI 2Geological estimate
    960 – Ongoing
    Raudhalsar
  2. 665 BCE (±100 yrs)VEI 2Geological estimate
    BCE 665 – Ongoing
    Ytri and Stóri Raudamelskula
  3. 1750 BCE (±150 yrs)VEI 2Geological estimate
    BCE 1750 – Ongoing
    Grábrók
  4. 2050 BCEVEI 3Geological estimate
    BCE 2050 – Ongoing
    Krothraunskula, Raudakúla, Graakula
  5. 7050 BCEVEI 2Geological estimate
    BCE 7050 – Ongoing
    Eldborg

External links

⚠ For reference only. Not for emergency response.