Jökulsárlón beach 2
Jökulsárlón (literally "glacial river lagoon") is a large glacial lagoon in southeast Iceland, on the borders of Vatnajökull National Park. Situated at the head of Breiðamerkurjökull, it evolved into a lagoon after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic Ocean. The lake has grown since then at varying rates because of melting of the Icelandic glaciers. The lagoon now stands kilometres ( mi) away from the ocean's edge and covers an area of about 18 km2 ( sq mi). It recently became the deepest lake in Iceland at over 248 metres (814 ft) depth as glacial retreat extended its boundaries.[1] The size of the lagoon has increased fourfold since the 1970s. Iceland (Icelandic: Ísland) is a Nordic European island country situated at the confluence of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The country has a population of about 320,000 and a total area of 103,000 km2 (40,000 sq mi), which makes it the most sparsely populated country in Europe. The capital and largest city is Reykjavík, with the surrounding areas in the southwestern region of the country being home to two-thirds of the country's population. The nation's capital is the most northern capital in the world. Iceland is volcanically and geologically active. The interior consists mainly of a plateau characterised by sand and lava fields, mountains and glaciers, while many glacial rivers flow to the sea through the lowlands. Iceland is warmed by the Gulf Stream and has a temperate climate despite a high latitude just outside the Arctic Circle.
Size: 7360px × 4912px
Location: Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland
Photo credit: © Ann Clark Landscapes / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: arctic, artic, ash, atlantic, beach, black, circle, europe, geothermal, glacier, glaciers, gulf, ice, iceland, lagoon, lava, mountains, nordic, ocean, river, rivers, sand, snow, stream, temperate, volcanic, volcano, waves, winter
