Hekla is one of Iceland’s best-known and most active volcanoes, often called the Queen of Icelandic volcanoes. The mountain is 1,491 meters tall and relatively young—around 7,000 years old—located in the uplands of South Iceland, in Rangárvallasýsla. However, the Hekla volcanic system is much older, estimated to be up to 700,000 years old.
Hekla has erupted 23 times over the last 1,150 years, or since Iceland was settled. Its most recent eruption occurred in this century—a small eruption in 2000. The volcano is situated on a thick crust where the South Iceland Fracture Zone and the South Iceland Volcanic Zone meet. What sets Hekla apart from other Icelandic volcanoes is that its magma chamber lies deep beneath the surface—approximately 11 kilometres into the Earth’s crust. The largest eruptions since Iceland’s settlement occurred in 1104 and 1947.
Rangárvallasýsla, 13/01/2025 – A7C R, A7CR III, M6 – FE 1.8/135mm GM, FE 2.8/100mm GM, 1.4/50mm – Images & Text: Páll Stefánsson
