Mountain type Stratovolcano Last eruption 1477 | Elevation 1,259 m Age of rock Pleistocene | |
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Similar Tindfjallajökull, Öræfajökull, Hofsjökull, Esjufjöll, Prestahnúkur | ||
Torfajökull (Icelandic for "Torfi's glacier") is a rhyolitic stratovolcano and complex of subglacial volcanoes, located north of Mýrdalsjökull and south of Þórisvatn Lake, Iceland. Torfajökull last erupted in 1477 and consists of the largest area of silicic extrusive rocks in Iceland.
Contents
Map of Torfaj%C3%B6kull, Iceland
The volcano's eruption around 870 has left a thin layer of tephra all over Iceland. This layer makes possible to determine the exact dates of many archeological finds, like in the Reykjavík 871±2 museum.
Naming
According to legend, the glacier is named for Torfi Jónsson í Klofa, an Icelandic historical figure. When the plague arrived in Iceland in 1493, Torfi fled with his family and his belongings into the highlands and settled in a valley surrounded by the glacier.
According to another legend, the glacier is named for Torfi, a farm worker at a nearby farm. Torfi eloped with the farmer's daughter and fled to the glacier.