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Attractions : Lakagígar and Eldgjá

Lakagígar, are a part of Skaftafell National Park. The area contains some of the world’s most remarkable geological formations while the plant and animal life is also of special interest. Because the area is very sensitive to encroachment, the aim of the conservation order is to preserve this unique and extremely sensitive area so that future generations can enjoy it in the same manner as we do now.

Geology
The Lakagígar eruption 1783 was the largest eruption since the settlement of Iceland and the accompanying lava flow (Eldhraun) was the third largest on earth since the last ice age1. Lakagígar (the Laki crater rows) were formed during 1783-1784. The name stems from the central peak in the area, Laki. Earthquakes shook the area for several days before the eruption began on Whit Sunday, June 8, 1783, with thunderous booms, ash falls and the stench of sulphur. The Lakagígar crater row sits on 10 parallel fissures, each of which is 2–5 km (1.5–3 miles) long. At the southern end of the crater row stands the mountain Hnúta, where the first fissure opened. The eruptions came in intervals generally accompanied by frequent earth tremors. During each eruption period, a new explosion fissure opened to the north of the existing sites of eruption. It is now thought that there was probably a total of ten periods of volcanic activity within these infamous eight months. Thus, there is a continuous row of craters on the volcanic fissure, with the largest crater in the middle. Around 135 craters were formed during the eruption period. During Skaftáreldar (“Fires of the Skaftá river”), a 200—500m (600—1650 ft) wide rift valley formed that stretched for 2 km (1.5) in a southwesterly direction from Laki, the valley is now hidden under volcanic gravel. Two fissures can clearly be seen on the slopes of Laki (818m, 2684 ft), in the middle of the crater row, towering 200m (656 ft) above the surrounding area.

The lava that flowed out of the Laki craters covers 0.5% of the area of Iceland. It flowed in two branches – Eldhraun, the western branch, and Brunahraun to the east . The westerly lava flow poured out of fissures southwest of Laki, where the eruption started. The lava filled valleys and flowed over highland pastures in two channels. One of the channels filled Skaftá Gorge. The Skaftá River dried up on the third day of the eruption and by the fifth day, the lava had travelled 40 km (25 miles) and reached the coastal plain. By the end of July, the eruption subsided to the south of Laki but activity increased in the fissures to the north. A week later, the lava flowed down the course of the river Hverfisfljót, filling its canyon on the way. The river Hverfisfljót now follows a different course. Volcanic activity finally ended on February 7, 1784 – eight months after it had begun.

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