Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice World Heritage Site

Official name

Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice | UNESCO

Country

Iceland | Map

Continent

Europe

Location

64.5773° Lat, -16.8815° Lon | Map

Code

1604

Time Zone

Atlantic/Reykjavik (GMT, +0000)

Current Time

Category

Natural

Description

Inscribed 2019. This iconic volcanic region covers an area of over 1,400,000 ha, nearly 14% of Iceland's territory. It numbers ten central volcanoes, eight of which are subglacial. Two of these are among the most active in Iceland. The interaction between volcanoes and the rifts that underlie the Vatnajökull ice cap takes many forms, the most spectacular of which is the jökulhlaup – a sudden flood caused by the breach of the margin of a glacier during an eruption. This recurrent phenomenon has led to the emergence of unique sandur plains, river systems and rapidly evolving canyons. Volcanic areas are home to endemic groundwater fauna that has survived the Ice Age.