The Hidden Giant Under Ice
Katla lies beneath the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap in southern Iceland. The central caldera is ~10 km wide and is hidden beneath 590 km² of ice. The volcano rises to ~1,500 m above sea level. When Katla erupts, it causes catastrophic glacial floods that can match the flow of the Amazon River.
Mýrdalsjökull ice cap conceals Katla's massive caldera. The glacier stretches across 590 km² of southern Iceland, hiding one of the country's most powerful volcanic systems.
When Katla erupts, the interaction between magma and ice creates catastrophic glacial floods called jökulhlaups that can surge across the sandur plains within minutes.
When Katla erupts under the glacier, it melts massive amounts of ice instantly, creating floods with flow rates up to 300,000 m³/s - comparable to the Amazon River. These floods can destroy everything in their path within hours.
Smaller subglacial eruptions occurred in 1955, 1999, and 2011. These eruptions did not break through the ice but caused jökulhlaups and intense seismicity.
Part of Katla's volcanic system, the Eldgjá fissure eruption lasted from 934–940 CE and produced ~19.6 km³ of basaltic lava. It likely caused climate cooling and societal impacts across the Northern Hemisphere. This was the world's largest lava flood in recorded history.
Mýrdalssandur - the vast flood plain shaped by centuries of Katla's glacial outburst floods. During major eruptions, floodwaters can match the flow of the Amazon River.
Katla is one of the world's most closely monitored volcanoes due to its extreme danger.
One of the most accessible outlet glaciers flowing from Mýrdalsjökull. Sólheimajökull has been retreating rapidly due to climate change, revealing new terrain beneath the ice.
Glacier hiking tours depart from a car park just off Route 1, offering visitors a chance to walk on ice shaped by Katla's volcanic heat from below.
A unique year-round ice cave featuring dramatic black ice formed from layers of volcanic ash.
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