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Kerið
Volcanic crater lake in Iceland
Volcanic crater lake in Iceland
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Kerið |
| type | Volcanic crater |
| photo | A girl standing on top of Kerið.jpg |
| map | Iceland |
| map_caption | Location in Iceland |
| label | Kerið |
| coordinates | |
| location | South Iceland |
| width | 170 meters |
| depth | 55 meters |
Kerið (; also Kerith or Kerid) is a volcanic crater lake located in the Grímsnes area in south Iceland, along the Golden Circle. 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.
Geology
Kerið is the northernmost of four craters situated along an 800-meter fissure called the Tjarnarhólar [ˈtʰja(r)tnarˌhouːlar̥] row. It was formed through explosive volcanic activity (classified as a maar) and is elliptical, measuring approximately 55 m deep, 170 m wide, and 270 m 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 to 9,000 years ago.
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. Researchers have identified 10 taxa of zooplankton in the lake, primarily from the Rotifera phylum.
Tourism
The land on which the crater sits is owned by a private company, Arctic Adventures, which bought the site in 2023. The company charges an entrance fee to see the crater of 600 ISK ().
Gallery
File:Kerid-02-Krater-1980-gje.jpg|Kerið in April 1980 File:Kerið, frozen.JPG|Kerið frozen over in early April File:Kerid-grimsnes.jpg|Kerið in September File:Kerid.jpg|Kerið in April File:Kerid 1.jpg|Kerið in August File:Kerið.JPG|Kerið File:Kerið crater lake, Iceland - Eric Marchese.jpg|Kerið File:Kerið.jpg|Kerið in early March File:Iceland-Kerid2-July 2000.jpg|Tourists on the edge of Kerið in July File:Iceland-Kerid1-July 2000.jpg|Kerið in July File:Kerið panoramic.jpg|alt=
References
Sources
References
- Schroder, Hasse. (1990). "Iceland: More than Sagas". Schroders Ord & Bildbyra AB.
- Lorenz, V.. (1970-04-01). "An investigation of volcanic depressions. Part 3: Maars, tuff-rings, tuff-cones, and diatremes". NTRS - NASA Technical Reports Server.
- Gudmundsson, Agust. (2017). "The Glorious Geology of Iceland's Golden Circle". Springer International Publishing.
- Eriksson, Karin. (2005). "100 Geosites in South Iceland". Pjaxi.
- Evtimova, Vesela; Pandourski, Ivan; Apostolov, Apostol. "First study on the zooplankton of the Kerid (Kerið) Crater Lake, Iceland." ''ZooNotes'', vol. 55, 2014, pp. 1–3.
- Pomrenke, Erik. (2023-10-16). "Tour Operator Arctic Adventures Buys Kerið Crater".
- "Kerið Crater Official Website - A Geological Wonder of Iceland".
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