Prestahnukur

The classic Icelandic volcano Skjaldbreidur is perhaps the best known of the many small shield volcanoes that were constructed along rift zones where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level. Skjaldbreidur, seen here from the west along route 52, was formed about 9500 years ago during a single long-duration eruption at the southern end of the Prestahnukur volcanic system in central Iceland. The broad, low-angle shield volcano produced 17 cu km of basaltic lava flows and is capped by a small 300-m-wide summit crater.