Iceland

Vatnajökull National Park

WHS Score 4.08
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2.0

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2.5

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  • Els Slots
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Vatnajökull National Park by Els Slots
Vatnajökull National Park by Els Slots 6

Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice is a natural landscape with a wide variety of tectonic, volcanic and glaciovolcanic features.

The Vatnajökull ice cap is the second-largest in Europe and a major glacial research location on climate change. It is situated on large and active tectonic rift systems, and in an area rich in volcanic features. These aspects all uniquely interplay.

Community Perspective: this is a huge park and most of it is pure wilderness. The most accessible areas from the Ring Road include Jokulsarlon ice lake and Skaftafell (here ice tongues from the glacier can be seen from very close). More adventurous options include expensive snowmobile tours from Jöklasel, a 2-3 hour detour to Jökulsargljufur National Park, and a 4x4 drive to the Laki area.

Site Info

Official Information
Full Name
Vatnajökull National Park - Dynamic Nature of Fire and Ice (ID: 1604)
Country
Iceland
Status
Inscribed 2019 Site history
History of Vatnajökull National Park
2019: Inscribed
Inscribed
2011: Revision
Includes former TWHS Skaftafell (2001) and Askja part of former TWHS Herðubreið and Askja
Type
Natural
Criteria
  • viii
Links
UNESCO
whc.unesco.org
Official
All Links
UNESCO.org
Official Website
News Article
  • 26 Aug 2024 bbc.com — Two missing after ice collapse in Icelandic glacier

Community Information

  • Community Category
  • Natural landscape: Glaciation
  • Natural landscape: Volcanic
Travel Information
Free entrance
Free entrance
Entrance to the park is free, however there is a parking fee of 600 …
Recent Connections
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Connections of Vatnajökull National Park
Geography
  • Recently Active Volcanoes
    Grímsvötn, large eruption in 2011

    See en.wikipedia.org

  • Mid-Atlantic Ridge
    Iceland includes the only part of the actively spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge exposed above sea level, with the tectonic plates on either side moving apart by some 19 mm each year. This movement is accommodated in rift zones, two of which, the Eastern and Northern Volcanic Zones, pass through the property (OUV statement)
  • Glaciers
    largest glacier in Europe and one of the largest in the world
  • Full White Nights
Trivia
Ecology
  • Tectonic processes
    Iceland includes the only part of the actively spreading Mid-Atlantic Ridge exposed above sea level, with the tectonic plates on either side moving apart by some 19 mm each year. This movement is accommodated in rift zones, two of which, the Eastern and Northern Volcanic Zones, pass through the property (OUV statement)
  • Ice cave
    Breiðamerkurjökull Ice Cave or the Crystal Cave (and many others)
  • Tundra
  • Columnar Jointing
    Svartifoss
World Heritage Process
  • Inscribed on a single criterion only
    VIII
  • No Buffer Zone
    No buffer zone proposed and IUCN accepts that "Given the vast size of the nominated property, the particular resilient nature of the OUV, and the existing protection in the nominated property's surroundings through the Nature Conservation Act, the Public Land Act and the Master Plan for Nature Protection and Energy Utilisation, IUCN agrees that the designation of a buffer zone is not essential for this property, provided these wider measures continue to be effective."
WHS on Other Lists
Timeline
  • Holocene
    Vatnajökull glacier was formed ca. 2500 years ago
Science and Technology
  • Used for astronaut training and research
    "... This first mission of the Icelandic Space Agency called ISAGEVR1 (Iceland Space Agency Glacial Expedition with Volcanic Research) aimed to test the MS-1 Combination [astronaut suit, ed.] on the Grímsvötn volcano, the most active volcano in Iceland located at the top of the Vatnajökull glacier."

    See lemag-nikonclub-fr.translate.goog

Visiting conditions
  • Free entrance
    Entrance to the park is free, however there is a parking fee of 600 ISK (5.8 USD/4.9 EUR) for regular passenger vehicles
WHS Names
Literature & Film
News
bbc.com 26/08/2024
Two missing after ice collapse in …
Recent Visitors
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Visitors of Vatnajökull National Park
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Community Reviews