Katla Geopark, Iceland

This geopark is located in Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano area and covers an area of 9,542 km². It was accepted as a member of the Global Geopark Network in 2011. The park is characterised by volcanic landforms, such as volcanic vents, eruption cracks, lava rocks, lava ridges and tuff. The glaciers stand out in the landscape of the park, covering beautiful mountains. There are several smaller glaciers, glacier rivers and glacial landforms, such as hailstones and glacial lakes, near the glaciers. In addition, glaciers were generated by volcanic eruptions under ice-break floods, forming ice-water sedimentary plains in the lowland areas. Other fascinating features in the area include fossil-bearing xenoliths, false craters, and volcanic dust, which are helpful for the identification of geologic time. Geotourism is a driving force for sustainable development in this region, where the residents’ daily lives are strongly affected by volcanic activity.