Esjufjöll
Encyclopedia
The subglacial Esjufjöll volcano at the SE part of the Vatnajökull
icecap, north of Öraefajökull volcano, consists of the Snaehetta central volcano and a large caldera
. Most of the volcano, including the 40 km2 caldera, is covered by the icecap, but parts of the SE flank are exposed in NW-SE-trending ridges. Most of the exposed rocks are mildly alkaline basalt
s, but small amounts of rhyolitic
rocks are also present. A large jökulhlaup that came down the Jokulsa a Breidamerkursandi along the coast SE of Vatnajökull in the beginning of September 1927 was accompanied by a sulfur
stench, and on one occasion, ash fall on the Breidamerkurjökull considered to have possibly originated from Esjufjöll. Although Holocene
eruptions have not been confirmed from Esjufjöll, earthquake swarms that could indicate magma movements were detected in October 2002, and recently in October 2010.
Vatnajökull
Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in Iceland. It is located in the south-east of the island, covering more than 8% of the country.-Size:With an area of 8,100 km², Vatnajökull is the largest ice cap in Europe by volume and the second largest in area Vatnajökull is the largest glacier in...
icecap, north of Öraefajökull volcano, consists of the Snaehetta central volcano and a large caldera
Caldera
A caldera is a cauldron-like volcanic feature usually formed by the collapse of land following a volcanic eruption, such as the one at Yellowstone National Park in the US. They are sometimes confused with volcanic craters...
. Most of the volcano, including the 40 km2 caldera, is covered by the icecap, but parts of the SE flank are exposed in NW-SE-trending ridges. Most of the exposed rocks are mildly alkaline basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
s, but small amounts of rhyolitic
Rhyolite
This page is about a volcanic rock. For the ghost town see Rhyolite, Nevada, and for the satellite system, see Rhyolite/Aquacade.Rhyolite is an igneous, volcanic rock, of felsic composition . It may have any texture from glassy to aphanitic to porphyritic...
rocks are also present. A large jökulhlaup that came down the Jokulsa a Breidamerkursandi along the coast SE of Vatnajökull in the beginning of September 1927 was accompanied by a sulfur
Sulfur
Sulfur or sulphur is the chemical element with atomic number 16. In the periodic table it is represented by the symbol S. It is an abundant, multivalent non-metal. Under normal conditions, sulfur atoms form cyclic octatomic molecules with chemical formula S8. Elemental sulfur is a bright yellow...
stench, and on one occasion, ash fall on the Breidamerkurjökull considered to have possibly originated from Esjufjöll. Although Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
eruptions have not been confirmed from Esjufjöll, earthquake swarms that could indicate magma movements were detected in October 2002, and recently in October 2010.