Skútustaðagígar
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What people say
Holly Pelton
"Skútustaðagígar is the name of a row of pseudo-craters in North Iceland.
Explore the North of Iceland on a tour of Myvatn or a trip from Akureyri.
Geology of Skútustaðagígar
The Skútustaðagígar Craters are found in the Lake Mývatn area, which is very volcanic, being near to the Krafla volcano system. The nature of the lake itself and the volcanism of the region both led to the creation of these unusual formations.
During an eruptions, lava ran across the area of Skútustaðagígar, which at the time was swampy wetlands. The heat caused steam eruptions, which resulted in their crater-like shape.
As they were not the sources of lava, or volcanoes in themselves, they are not considered true craters.
Location of Skútustaðagígar
The Skútustaðagígar craters are surrounded by the remaining wetlands of the Lake Mývatn area. This region is a hotbed for birdwatching, with many species of duck found in the waters throughout the year."
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Nally Preseault
"By the time you reach the southern shore of Mývatn, you're convinced you must have seen all the otherworldly landscapes around the lake. Not so fast. You can't skip Skútustaðagígar. This is an area full of rootless cones, which look like volcanic craters, though no lava ever erupted from them. Instead, they were formed by gas explosions. They're still look quite impressive, especially when you can get so close. The cones are surrounded by swampy wetlands. Ducks like to call this area home. There's an easy, one-mile trail that loops around Skútustaðagígar. The path has been well worn by both people and sheep. The sheep definitely have the right of way."
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Kristen Mackiewicz
"Skutustadagigar pseudo-craters are located in the Lake Myvatn area. The craters themselves are not magma-producing volcanic vents but were formed by gas explosions when boiling lava flowed over the cool, wet surfaces about 2,300 years ago.
The easy walk around the pond can be done in 1 hour. Some pseudocraters can be climbed, others are protect and cannot be approached.
Make sure to bring a bug net for your face and wear long sleeves and pants for this!
1 hour to explore.
"
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