Katla Geopark

The geological significance of the Katla Geopark is centred on the now famous Eyjafjallajökull volcano which temporarily paralysed air travel over Europe in April 2010. The region is characterized by a volcanic morphology that includes eruption craters and fissures, lava fields, hyaloclastite lava ridges and tuff mountains. Glaciers are prominent in the landscape and cover the highest mountains and volcanoes. Near the glaciers are several glacier outlets, glacier rivers and glacial formations like moraines and ice-dammed lakes. Glacier outburst floods, caused by subglacial eruptions, have created outwash plains in the lowlands. Other interesting features in the area are fossiliferous xenoliths, pseudocraters and tephra layers that are useful for geological dating. In a region where the daily life of the population is strongly affected by volcanic activity, geotourism constitutes an important driver for sustainable development. 

WEBSITE: http://katlageopark.is/