Kerið
Volcanic crater lake in Iceland
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Kerið (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈcʰɛːrɪθ]; also Kerith or Kerid) is a volcanic crater lake located in the Grímsnes area in south Iceland, along the Golden Circle.[1] It is one of several crater lakes in the area, known as Iceland's Western Volcanic Zone, which includes the Reykjanes peninsula and the Langjökull Glacier, created as the land moved over a localized hotspot, but it is the one that has the most visually recognizable caldera still intact. The site is a popular area for tourists in Iceland.
Kerið | |
|---|---|
Volcanic crater | |
| |
  Kerið Location in Iceland | |
| Coordinates: 64.041°N 20.885°W | |
| Location | South Iceland |
| Dimensions | |
| • Width | 170 meters |
| • Depth | 55 meters |
Geology
Kerið is the northernmost of four craters situated along an 800-meter fissure called the Tjarnarhólar [ˈtʰja(r)tnarˌhouːlar̥] row.[2] It was formed through explosive volcanic activity (classified as a maar) and is elliptical, measuring approximately 55 m (180 ft) deep, 170 m (560 ft) wide, and 270 m (890 ft) across. The wall of the crater consists of basalt, formed following the cooling of lava, and scoria. Sources differ as to when the explosion occurred that created the crater, ranging from 6,420 years ago[3] to 9,000 years ago.[4]
While most of the crater is steep-walled with little vegetation, one wall is sloped more gently and blanketed with a deep moss. The sloped wall can be descended easily. The lake at the bottom of the crater is fairly shallow (6–14 meters, depending on the level of groundwater); due to minerals from the soil, the water appears aquamarine.[5] Researchers have identified 10 taxa of zooplankton in the lake, primarily from the Rotifera phylum.[6]
Tourism
Gallery
Kerið in April 1980
Kerið frozen over in early April
Kerið in September
Kerið in April
Kerið in August
Kerið
Kerið
Kerið in early March
Tourists on the edge of Kerið in July
Kerið in July
