Vattnajökull

Vatnajökull, the "glacier of lakes," covers a vast expanse of southeastern Iceland. It is the island's largest ice cap, with outlet glaciers descending from its margins and volcanic mountains hidden beneath the ice. Eruptions can melt water below the glacier, creating floods known as jökulhlaups when the water breaks free. On its southern edge rises Öræfajökull, whose summit Hvannadalshnúkur is Iceland's highest peak. The ice forms an imposing barrier between the interior and the coastal settlements below.