Vatnajökull (pronounced vat'najö'küdll) is the largest glacier in Iceland. It is situated in the south-east of the island, covering more than 8% of the country. With its size of 8.456 km² it is also the largest glacier in Europe. The thickness of the ice is up to 1000 meters.
Iceland's highest mountain, Hvannadalshnjúkur (2119 m), is found in the southern perifery of Vatnajökull, near Skaftafell National Park.
Vatnajökull, Iceland
Under the glacier - as under many of the glaciers of Iceland - there are volcanoes. The volcanic lakes, Grimsvötn for example, were the sources of a large glacier run in 1996. The volcano under these lakes also caused a considerable but short-time eruption in the beginning of November, 2004.
The Vatnajökull has been shrinking for some years now, possibly because of climatic changes and recent volcanic activity.
Lying along the southern edge of Vatnajokull, the municipality of Hornafjörður provides an ideal place for meetings and conferences.
Jökulsárlón lagoon, Vatnajokull icecap and a range of glacial tongues encompass some of Iceland's most famous scenery, selected by numerous Icelanders and foreigners for shooting films and advertisements.
In its Realm the ice is omnipotent, with powerful arms that have cut out valleys and peaks, and rushing rivers that have challenged surrounding settlements for centuries -- not to mention the subglacial volcanoes, long a source of destruction and change throughout the area.
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