Vatnaöldur () is the name of a series of craters in the Suðurland region of Iceland. They are located in the Highlands of Iceland, north–west of the Veiðivötn and north–east of Landmannalaugar, within the municipality of Rangárþing ytra. It is part of the Eastern volcanic zone (EVZ).
The craters were formed during a series of eruptions associated with a basaltic dyke intrusion from the volcanic system of Bárðarbunga around the year 877. These eruptions, like those of the neighbouring Veiðivötn, were from about (or ) long volcanic fissures within the area of a lake. The mainly explosive eruptions emitted of tholeiite basalt.G. Larsen, Thor Thordarson: Phreatomagmatism in the Eastern Volcanic Zone; 25 July 2010Smithsonian Global Volcanism Program - Vatnaöldur There was an associated rhyolite eruption near Torfajökull triggered by the intrusion. The associated tephra layer is called the Settlement layer, and covers more than half of Iceland’s land surface.
See also List of volcanic eruptions in Iceland Volcanism of Iceland Geology of Iceland List of volcanoes in Iceland Geological deformation of Iceland
Notes
References
Sources G. Larsen, Thor Thordarson: Phreatomagmatism in the Eastern Volcanic Zone; Retrieved July 25, 2010 Commentary by volcanologist Haraldur Sigurðsson on Bárðarbunga and Vatnaöldur eruptions (Icelandic) Vatnaöldur. The Global Volcanism Program of the Smithsonian Institution Vulkanology by Haraldur Sigurðsson on Bárðarbunga and Vatnaöldur Eruptions (Isländish) Faculty of Earth Sciences - University of Iceland 2013. Gravity studies of the structure of the Vatnaöldur and Veiðivötn crater rows, South Central Iceland. Jeanne M. Giniaux