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Iceland

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Encyclopedia of European and Asian Regional Geology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Science ((EESS))

Introduction

Iceland (Icel: Island) is the third largest island in the Atlantic Ocean, with an area of 103 106 km2 (39 758 mi2). It is situated almost entirely S of the Arctic Circle, its northernmost point, Rifstangi, lying at 66°33′ N. The shortest distance from Iceland to Greenland is 287 km, and to Scotland, 798 km. The country's average altitude is around 500 m. Culturally, Iceland is one of the Nordic countries; the capital city is Reykjavík, the site also of a University, the National Energy Authority, the Museum of Natural History, the Marine Research Institute and other scientific institutions. The principal geoscience journal today is Jökull, a joint English-language publication of the glaciological and geoscience societies of Iceland. A comprehensive overview of the geology of Iceland was published in a special issue of Jökull in 1979 (Saemundsson, 1979a). Other recent review articles and special issues are listed in the bibliography at the end.

Historically, the monumental...

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Authors
  1. S. Steinthórsson
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  2. S. Thorarinsson
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© 1997 Chapman & Hall

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Steinthórsson, S., Thorarinsson, S. (1997). Iceland . In: Encyclopedia of European and Asian Regional Geology. Encyclopedia of Earth Science. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4495-X_46

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/1-4020-4495-X_46

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-0-412-74040-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4020-4495-3

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

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