Geologist J. Alexandra Sloan previously took us on a virtual excursion along Iceland’s Ring Road to see some of its biggest tourism and geological hot spots (yes, pun intended). Today, former geoscientist and now full-time science communicator and guide Jessica Poteet will take us to some of the island’s lesser-known spots of geological intrigue. She has lived in Iceland for several years and knows all its best-kept secrets!
Check out her Facebook group Iceland Geology for more on Iceland’s seismic and volcanic happenings.
When most people land at Iceland’s main international airport, near Keflavík on the Reykjanes Peninsula, they drive straight to Reykjavík to head to their lodging and begin their journey on the Golden Circle. But those people are missing out!
Did you know that the airport is less than 20 kilometers away from the island’s newest lava fields and craters, and that the primary highway out of the airport parallels the famous plate boundary? Why not linger a little longer and see a part of the earth that is still brand new, steaming, smelly, and hot?
Must-see peninsula geology:
Mid-Atlantic Ridge: Iceland is the only place where the 16,000-kilometer-long mid-ocean ridge rises above sea level. This plate boundary, a rift zone that makes up most of the southwest peninsula, comes ashore just south of the airport and heads almost due east.
Volcanic zones: The peninsula has six active volcanic zones that straddle the active rift. These zones “turn on” (geologically) simultaneously about every 800 years and have reawakened again during the past decade. To date, two of the volcanic zones have erupted since 2021 (Fargradalsfjall and Svartsengi).
Active geothermal areas: Surface evidence of what lies below ground is common on this peninsula, and bubbling mud pots and steaming hot springs dot the landscape. Geothermal plants and nearby wells are also seen.
Striking coastlines: Lava and volcanoclastic built-up cliffs and desolate black sand beaches create stunning coasts along this section of the island.
This, of course, is only a taste of what the geology of the region entails, but hopefully that primer can set the scene and get you excited for what you can visit and see.
Here’s a full itinerary to help you plan your visit:
Stay at the Blue Lagoon. The lagoon is highly trafficked (Visiting the lagoon is Iceland’s number one tourist activity), but a beautiful place to stay if devoting time to this active region is on your list.
Please note: If the volcano erupts while you are staying at the hotel or in the lagoon, you will be forced to immediately evacuate. While this is not a life-threatening situation, it can be scary for those who do not know the full geologic context, so plan your stay with your level of risk tolerance in mind.
See earthquake and lava damage in Grindavík. As you drive south from the Blue Lagoon, you will traverse new roads built over new lava fields and come across 25-meter-high berms that the government built to protect the town from lava. The city has a photo memorial and fenced-off area that shows the damage done by shallow dike emplacement in November 2023.
Hike to new craters. Turning east from town, you can park at the P1 parking lot at Geldingadalur. From there, hike Trail A to see the massive crater and lava field from the 2021 Fagradalsfjall eruption or hike Trail B to see the newest craters and lava fields from the Sundhnúkur crater row. Each hike takes about 60–90 minutes each way.
Head west to the coast. If you drive west from Grindavík, you can see the steam vents and mud pools of Gunnuhver, the rock pools of Brimketill, the Bridge Between Continents, and the eroded volcanic plug in the sea called Karlinn.
Go northeast to the lake. If you drive east from the volcano parking lot and turn north at the next road, you will encounter ancient craters, active geothermal areas (Seltún), and a large volcanic lake that is surrounded by beautiful volcanoclastic deposits.
Pop into town and see the local neighborhoods. If you continue north on this road, you will end up in the Reykjavík suburbs. There, you can see how houses, apartments, and stores are built around and tucked into lava fields that are thousands of years old.
