Krýsuvík (volcanic system)

The volcanic system of Krýsuvík (or Krísuvík, both pronounced [ˈkʰriːsʏˌviːk] in Icelandic), also Krýsuvík-Trölladyngja [ˈtʰrœtlaˌtiɲca] volcanic system, is situated in the south–west of Iceland on the Reykjanes peninsula. It is located in the middle of Reykjanes and on the divergent plate boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which traverses Iceland. It was named after the Krýsuvík area which is part of it and consists of a fissure system without a central volcano. However, there are some indications—namely, the discovery by geophysical methods of what scientists interpret as a buried caldera, combined with the well-known, vigorous hydrothermal system above it—that an embryonic central magma chamber may already exist or be actively developing.

The volcanic system has a length of 55 km (34 mi), a width of around 13 km (8.1 mi), covers an area of 350 km2 (140 sq mi), and its highest elevation is 393 m (1,289 ft). It is one of 4 (or up to 7, depending on the source) volcanic systems situated within the Reykjanes Volcanic Belt. The volcanic systems are arranged en echelon and at an angle that varies from 20–45° to the direction of the rift zone on the divergent plate boundary traversing Reykjanes.

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