Prestahnúkur
| Prestahnúkur | |
|---|---|
 Prestahnúkur | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 1,220 m (4,000 ft) |
| Naming | |
| English translation | peak of the priests |
| Language of name | English |
| Geography | |
| Location | Iceland |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type | Subglacial |
| Last eruption | 3350 BCE (?) |
The volcano Prestahnúkur (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈpʰrɛstaˌn̥uːkʏr̥]) is in the west of the Highlands of Iceland to the west of Langjökull glacier, or to be more specific, to the west of Geitlandsjökull glacier, a part of the Langjökull.
The volcanic system[]
The central volcano Prestahnúkur consists of rhyolite and has a small magma chamber. At its feet is a which shows that the volcano is active.
In 2009 some geologists of the researched the material about earthquake events in the area. This shows that volcanic fissures lie in direction southwest-northeast and reach among others under the glaciers Þórisjökull and Geitlandsjökull-Langjökull.[1]
The rock[]
The rhyolite of the mountain was for some time very popular and exploited as construction material, partly for export. But the mine has been closed.
The name[]
The name means "peak of the priests".
The origin of the name was an expedition of two priests into the highlands in the 17th century. It was seen as quite an enterprise at the time when they went into this region. They explored especially a valley behind the Þórisjökull called Þórisdalur, which had a bad reputation in sagas and folk stories because it was believed to be haunted by ghosts and that lawless people would be living there. As is clear today, they found nothing of the sort, but they were regarded as heroes when they came back from this expedition.[2]
Highland Road Kaldidalur and mountaineering[]
The highland road Kaldidalur is situated not far from the mountain and it is possible to access the mountain by a bad jeep track and climb it.
See also[]
References[]
External links[]
- Prestahnúkur in the
- Icelandic Meteorological Institute, 2009, Icelandic with English summary and maps
- Photo: with a jeep onto the mountain
- "Prestahnúkur". Global Volcanism Program. Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2021-06-25.
Coordinates: 64°35′N 20°40′W / 64.583°N 20.667°W
 | This article needs additional citations for verification. (April 2010) |
- Volcanoes of Iceland
- Active volcanoes
- West Volcanic Zone of Iceland
- Borgarbyggð
- Volcanic systems of Iceland