🌋VolcanoAtlas

Bárðarbunga

Iceland's Subglacial Giant — Home to the Largest Holocene Lava Flow on Earth

Elevation

2,000 m

Last Eruption

2014–2015

Type

Stratovolcano (subglacial)

Country

Iceland

Location

Loading map...

Volcanic Hazards & Risk Assessment

Primary Hazards

  • Pyroclastic flows
  • Lava flows
  • Volcanic bombs and ballistics
  • Lahars and mudflows

Risk Level

Population at RiskHigh
Infrastructure RiskHigh
Aviation RiskSignificant

Geological Composition & Structure

Rock Types

Primary
Unknown
Silica Content
Varied composition

Tectonic Setting

Unknown
Intraplate setting with hotspot or regional volcanic activity.

Age & Formation

Epoch
Unknown
Evidence
Unknown

Eruption Statistics & Analysis

MetricValueGlobal RankingSignificance
Total Recorded EruptionsUnknownLowModerately active volcano
Maximum VEIVEI UnknownMinorLocal impact potential
Recent Activity-20139989 years agoVery RecentCurrently active

Monitoring & Alert Status

Monitoring Networks

Global Volcanism Program
International eruption database

Current Status

Active
Recent volcanic activity detected. Continuous monitoring in place.

Authority Sources

Smithsonian GVP
Official volcano database

Related Volcanoes

All Iceland Volcanoes
Explore by country
Stratovolcano (subglacial) Volcanoes
By volcano type
Central Highlands, Vatnajökull
Regional volcanoes
Volcano erupting with lava and smoke

Balázs Gábor

via Unsplash

a large plume of smoke rising from a volcano

Roberta Piana

via Unsplash

Volcano erupting with smoke and ash over landscape

The Cleveland Museum of Art

via Unsplash

a volcano spewing out lava in the distance

Einar Ingi Sigmundsson

via Unsplash

brown and black mountain with white clouds

Ása Steinarsdóttir

via Unsplash

black mountain covered with fog

Toby Elliott

via Unsplash

Other Volcanoes in Iceland

Interesting Facts

🌋

The Þjórsárhraun lava flow, erupted from Bárðarbunga's Veidivötn fissure system around 6650 BCE, is the largest known lava flow of the entire Holocene epoch, with a volume exceeding 21 km³ — enough to bury the entire city of London under 13 m of basalt.

🌋

Bárðarbunga's subglacial caldera is approximately 700 m deep and 10 × 12 km across, yet it has never been directly observed by human eyes — it lies entirely beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap.

🌋

During the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption, the caldera floor subsided approximately 65 m in six months — one of the most dramatic episodes of caldera deflation ever observed with modern instruments.

🌋

The 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption emitted approximately 11 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide — more than all of Europe's industrial sources combined during the same period.

🌋

Bárðarbunga's fissure systems extend over 150 km across Iceland — from Torfajökull in the southwest to near Askja in the northeast — making it one of the longest volcanic fissure systems on Earth.

🌋

The 1477 Veidivötn eruption (VEI 6) was comparable in explosivity to the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo and is one of the largest volcanic events in the North Atlantic in the last 1,000 years.

🌋

The Vatnaöldur eruption of ~870 AD produced the 'Settlement Layer' tephra — the most important chronological marker in Icelandic archaeology, used to date hundreds of Viking-age sites across the country.

🌋

At 2,000 m elevation, Bárðarbunga is the second-highest point in Iceland — though the summit has never been climbed because it lies beneath the ice surface of the Vatnajökull glacier.

🌋

During the 2014 eruption, scientists tracked a lateral magma dike propagating 45 km from beneath the caldera to the Holuhraun eruption site in real time using seismic data — advancing at rates of up to 4 km per day.

🌋

Jökulhlaups (glacial outburst floods) from Bárðarbunga eruptions can potentially affect river drainages in all directions from the Vatnajökull ice cap, threatening bridges, roads, and farmland across a wide area.

🌋

The Holuhraun lava field covers 85 km² — roughly the area of Manhattan — and was still steaming and too hot to walk on months after the eruption ended.

🌋

Bárðarbunga has produced 55 recorded eruptions over 9,000+ years, but many more are likely unrecorded — subglacial eruptions can occur and end without any surface expression beyond subtle ice cauldron formation.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Bárðarbunga still active?
Yes, Bárðarbunga is an active volcanic system that last erupted in 2014–2015 at the Holuhraun fissure vent. Seismic monitoring by the Icelandic Meteorological Office shows continued elevated earthquake activity beneath the caldera, indicating ongoing magmatic processes. The caldera floor, which subsided 65 m during the 2014–2015 eruption, has shown signs of partial re-inflation, suggesting magma recharge from depth. Scientists consider future eruptions from the Bárðarbunga system to be a certainty — the only questions are when, where along the 150+ km fissure system, and how large.
What happened during the 2014 Bárðarbunga eruption?
In August 2014, intense seismic activity beneath Bárðarbunga's caldera indicated a magmatic intrusion. Over two weeks, a lateral dike propagated 45 km northeast, and on August 29, 2014, a fissure eruption broke through the surface at Holuhraun. The eruption lasted six months, producing approximately 1.6 km³ of basaltic lava covering 85 km². Lava fountains reached 50–100 m, and the eruption emitted roughly 11 million tonnes of sulfur dioxide, causing air quality alerts across Iceland. Meanwhile, the Bárðarbunga caldera floor subsided approximately 65 m as magma drained laterally. The eruption was the largest in Iceland since the Laki fissure eruption of 1783–1784.
Could Bárðarbunga erupt again?
Future eruptions from the Bárðarbunga system are considered inevitable by Icelandic volcanologists. The volcano sits atop the Iceland mantle plume, which provides a continuous supply of basaltic magma, and the post-2015 seismic record indicates ongoing magma recharge. The most likely scenario is another fissure eruption along the Veidivötn or Trollagigar systems, potentially similar in scale to Holuhraun (1.6 km³). However, the 1477 VEI 6 eruption demonstrates that much larger events are also possible. The primary concerns for a future eruption include jökulhlaups (if the eruption occurs beneath the ice cap), lava flows threatening highland infrastructure, volcanic gas pollution, and potential aviation disruption.
What is the largest lava flow from Bárðarbunga?
The Þjórsárhraun (Thjórsá lava) eruption, produced from Bárðarbunga's Veidivötn fissure system approximately 8,600 years ago (~6650 BCE), is the largest known lava flow of the entire Holocene epoch — the geological period spanning the last 11,700 years. The eruption produced more than 21 km³ of basaltic lava that flowed over 130 km from its source to the coast, covering approximately 950 km² of southern Iceland. For comparison, the 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption produced approximately 1.6 km³ — less than 8% of the Þjórsárhraun volume.
Where is Bárðarbunga located?
Bárðarbunga is located in central Iceland, beneath the northwestern part of the Vatnajökull ice cap — Europe's largest glacier. Its caldera lies at approximately 64.6°N, 17.5°W, in the uninhabited Icelandic highlands. The nearest significant settlement is Akureyri, approximately 130 km to the north. The volcano is not visible from the surface because it is entirely subglacial, though the depression of the ice surface over the caldera can be detected by satellite. The associated fissure systems extend far beyond the ice cap into the highland interior.
How tall is Bárðarbunga?
Bárðarbunga's summit reaches 2,000 m (6,562 ft) above sea level, making it the second-highest point in Iceland after the ice-covered summit of Öræfajökull (2,110 m), which also lies beneath Vatnajökull. However, Bárðarbunga's summit is entirely covered by glacial ice and has never been directly observed as a topographic peak. The subglacial caldera, with a depth of approximately 700 m, means the actual bedrock summit of the volcano rim is considerably higher than the ice-depressed caldera floor.
What is a jökulhlaup?
A jökulhlaup (Icelandic for 'glacier run') is a catastrophic glacial outburst flood caused by the sudden release of meltwater from beneath or within a glacier. In the context of Bárðarbunga, volcanic eruptions beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap can rapidly melt enormous volumes of ice, creating subglacial lakes that eventually breach the ice dam and release devastating floods. The 1996 Gjálp eruption (at nearby Grímsvötn) produced a jökulhlaup with a peak discharge of approximately 50,000 m³/s — comparable to the flow rate of the Congo River — that destroyed a major bridge on Iceland's Ring Road. Jökulhlaups are among the most dangerous hazards associated with Bárðarbunga.
How does Bárðarbunga compare to Eyjafjallajökull?
Bárðarbunga is a far more powerful volcanic system than Eyjafjallajökull. Bárðarbunga has produced 55 recorded eruptions (vs. 5 for Eyjafjallajökull), has reached VEI 6 (vs. VEI 4 for Eyjafjallajökull), and its fissure systems span over 150 km (vs. Eyjafjallajökull's localized system). The 2014–2015 Holuhraun eruption alone produced approximately 1.6 km³ of lava — roughly 20 times the volume of Eyjafjallajökull's 2010 eruption. However, Eyjafjallajökull's 2010 eruption had a greater immediate impact on European aviation because its more silicic, explosive magma produced fine ash that was carried toward continental Europe by prevailing winds.
Can you visit the Holuhraun lava field?
Yes, the 2014–2015 Holuhraun lava field can be visited during the Icelandic summer (typically July–September), though access requires a high-clearance 4×4 vehicle capable of river crossings. The lava field is located in Iceland's remote highland interior, accessible via F-roads (mountain tracks) from the north or east. Several tour operators in Akureyri and Mývatn offer guided super-jeep tours to Holuhraun. The fresh basaltic lava field covering 85 km² is a dramatic and otherworldly landscape. Visitors should register their travel plans at safetravel.is, carry emergency supplies, and be prepared for rapidly changing weather conditions in the highlands.
What is the Veidivötn fissure system?
The Veidivötn fissure system is one of Bárðarbunga's two major fissure swarms — a zone of volcanic fissures, craters, and vents extending approximately 100 km southwest from the Bárðarbunga caldera toward the Torfajökull volcanic center. The name Veidivötn means 'fishing lakes,' referencing the chain of small crater lakes that formed along the fissure during past eruptions. The system has produced some of the largest eruptions in Icelandic history, including the Þjórsárhraun (~6650 BCE, >21 km³ of lava — the largest Holocene flow on Earth) and the 1477 VEI 6 eruption. It is considered one of the most hazardous volcanic features in Iceland.