Mount Laki (Lakagígar), Iceland: Facts & History
Mount Laki (Lakagígar, "Craters of Laki") is a volcanic fissure system in southern Iceland, not a single mountain. It's infamous for the 1783–1784 Laki eruption—one of history's most catastrophic.
Key Facts
| Attribute | Details |
|---|
| Location | South Iceland, ~125 km (78 mi) east of Reykjavík, near Kirkjubæjarklaustur |
| Type | Fissure vent / crater row (27 km long, 130+ craters) |
| Elevation | Highest crater: 818 m (2,684 ft) — note: earlier 1,725 m figure incorrect |
| Volcanic System | Grímsvötn (subglacial volcano under Vatnajökull) |
The 1783–1784 Eruption (Skaftáreldar)
- Duration: 8 months (June 1783 – Feb 1784).
- Lava Volume: ~14.7 km³ (largest historical effusive eruption).
- Area Covered: 565 km².
- Gas Emissions: 120 Mt SO₂ → "Laki haze" across Europe.
- Iceland Impact: 20–25% population died (famine, fluorine poisoning); 60% livestock lost.
- Global Impact: 1784 "Year Without Summer" in Europe/N. America; crop failures, famine, possibly contributed to French Revolution unrest.
Visiting Today
- Access via F206/F207 (4x4 only, summer only).
- Hike the crater row for surreal landscapes.
- Nearby: Fjaðrárgljúfur canyon, Kirkjubæjarklaustur village.
- Check road.is and safetravel.is before going.
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