North Iceland · Iceland
Krafla
Krafla is an active volcanic caldera in the Mývatn region — a landscape of steaming lava fields, boiling mud pools and vivid green crater lakes shaped by a series of eruptions between 1975 and 1984.
About Krafla
Krafla is an active volcanic caldera in the Mývatn region — a landscape of steaming lava fields, boiling mud pools and vivid green crater lakes shaped by a series of eruptions between 1975 and 1984.
History & Background
The 'Krafla Fires' (1975–1984) were a series of volcanic eruptions that disrupted a geothermal drilling project that was underway at the time — drilling rigs had to be abandoned as lava flowed toward them. The eruptions produced spectacular lava lakes in the Víti crater. The most recent activity produced the Leirhnjúkur lava field, which still steams and remains warm to walk across today.
Key Facts
- ✔Active caldera — last eruption series 1975–1984 ('Krafla Fires')
- ✔Víti crater contains a warm geothermal lake
- ✔Leirhnjúkur lava field is still steaming and warm
- ✔A geothermal drilling project was interrupted by an eruption
- ✔Located in the Mývatn volcanic zone, North Iceland
