Global Volcanism Program

The Global Volcanism Program has no activity reports available for Fremrinámar.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Weekly Reports available for Fremrinámar.

The Global Volcanism Program has no Bulletin Reports available for Fremrinámar.

This compilation of synonyms and subsidiary features may not be comprehensive. Features are organized into four major categories: Cones, Craters, Domes, and Thermal Features. Synonyms of features appear indented below the primary name. In some cases additional feature type, elevation, or location details are provided.

Synonyms

Fremrinámur

Cones

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Kerlingardynga

Shield volcano

900 m

65° 23' 0" N

16° 38' 0" W

Ketildyngja
Ketil

Shield volcano

939 m

65° 26' 0" N

16° 39' 0" W

Leirhafnarskord

Vent

100 m

66° 25' 0" N

16° 29' 0" W

Skjaldbaka
Schildkrote

Shield volcano

760 m

65° 27' 0" N

16° 44' 0" W

Skuggadyngja

Shield volcano

870 m

65° 28' 0" N

16° 38' 0" W

Talabunga
Taglabunga

Shield volcano

652 m

65° 30' 0" N

16° 32' 0" W

Craters

Feature Name

Feature Type

Elevation

Latitude

Longitude

Kraeduborgir

Fissure vent

418 m

65° 38' 0" N

16° 35' 0" W

Raudholar

Fissure vent

410 m

65° 52' 0" N

16° 23' 0" W

Rauduborgir

Fissure vent

407 m

65° 35' 0" N

16° 29' 0" W

Sveinar

Fissure vent

406 m

65° 45' 0" N

16° 26' 0" W

Basic Data

Volcano Number

Last Known Eruption

Elevation

Latitude
Longitude

373070

1200 BCE

970 m / 3,182 ft

65.416°N
16.666°W

Morphology

Volcano Landform
Composite

Volcano Types
Stratovolcano
Shield(s)
Fissure vent(s)

Rock Types

Major
Basalt / Picro-Basalt
Rhyolite

Tectonic Setting

Rift zone
Oceanic crust (< 15 km)

Population

Within 5 km
Within 10 km
Within 30 km
Within 100 km

0
0
476
19,143

Geological Summary

The Fremrinámar volcanic system, N of Askja and SE of Myvatn lake, includes the central Ketildyngja shield volcano and the Sveinar fissure swarm that extends 130 km to the north coast of Iceland. The Kerlingardyngja shield volcano to the south is early Holocene. The latest eruption produced the Burfellshraun lava flow about 3,200 years ago that covered 75 km².

References

The following references have all been used during the compilation of data for this volcano, it is not a comprehensive bibliography.

Gudmundsson A T, 1986. Iceland-Fires. Reykjavik: Vaka-Helgafell, 168 p.

Gudmundsson A, Backstrom K, 1991. Structure and development of the Sveinagja graben, northeast Iceland. Tectonophysics, 200: 111-125.

Hjartardottir A R, Páll Einarsson P, Sigurdsson H, 2009. The fissure swarm of the Askja volcanic system along the divergent plate boundary of N Iceland. Bull Volcanol, 71: 961-975. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00445-009-0282-x

IAVCEI, 1973-80. Post-Miocene Volcanoes of the World. IAVCEI Data Sheets, Rome: Internatl Assoc Volc Chemistry Earth's Interior.

Sigurdsson H, Sparks R S J, 1978. Rifting episode in North Iceland in 1874-1875 and the eruptions of Askja and Sveinagja. Bull Volcanol, 41: 149-167.

Steinthorsson S, et al., 2002. Catalog of Active Volcanoes of the World - Iceland. Unpublished manuscript.

Eruptive History

There is data available for 4 confirmed Holocene eruptive periods.

[ 1823 ] Discredited Eruption

1200 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Kraeduborgir (Burfellshraun)

1200 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 1 Events for Episode 1 at Kraeduborgir (Burfellshraun)

	Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
	- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	violent, strong, or large

2300 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Ketildyngja

2300 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at Ketildyngja

Start Date	End Date	Event Type	Event Remarks
- - - -	- - - -	Lava fountains
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow	violent, strong, or large
- - - -	- - - -	Lava lake
2300 BCE (?)	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

4000 BCE (?) Confirmed Eruption VEI: 0

Episode 1 | Eruption

Kerlingardyngja

4000 BCE (?) - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 4 Events for Episode 1 at Kerlingardyngja

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Lava fountains
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Lava lake
4000 BCE (?)	- - - -	VEI (Explosivity Index)

4050 BCE ± 1050 years Confirmed Eruption

Episode 1 | Eruption

Sveinar (Rauduborgir) fissure

4050 BCE ± 1050 years - Unknown

Evidence from Correlation: Tephrochronology

List of 3 Events for Episode 1 at Sveinar (Rauduborgir) fissure

Start Date	End Date	Event Type
- - - -	- - - -	Explosion
- - - -	- - - -	Lava flow
- - - -	- - - -	Cinder Cone

Deformation History

There is no Deformation History data available for Fremrinámar.

Emission History

There is no Emissions History data available for Fremrinámar.

Photo Gallery

Fremrinámar, NNE of Askja and SE of Mývatn lake, is a volcanic system that is constructed over the Ketildyngja shield volcano (center). Associated fissure systems, including the Sveinar fissure, extend 130 km to the N coast of Iceland. Mývatn lake formed as a result of the eruption of the 70-km-long older Laxarhraun lava flow from Ketildyngja shield volcano about 3,800 years ago. The latest eruption from Fremrinámar produced the Búrfellshraun lava flow about 2,500-3,000 years ago.

Photo by Richie Williams, 1981 (U.S. Geological Survey).

The elongate Ketildyngja shield volcano, the most prominent feature of the Fremrinámur volcanic system, formed about 4,000 years ago and contains a distinct summit crater of about 400 x 800 m. Associated fissure systems extend from just northwest of Askja, across the Ketildyngja shield, and about 130 km to the northern coast of Iceland.

Photo by Michael Ryan, 1984 (U.S. Geological Survey).

The eastern rim of the summit crater of Ketildyngja shield volcano overlooks flat-lying lavas of the Fremrinamur volcanic system on the right and steep-sloped Pleistocene subglacial lavas on the left.

Photo by Michael Ryan, 1984 (U.S. Geological Survey).

GVP Map Holdings

Maps are not currently available due to technical issues.

Smithsonian Sample Collections Database

There are no samples for Fremrinámar in the Smithsonian's NMNH Department of Mineral Sciences Rock and Ore collection.

External Sites

Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes (Link to Fremrinámar)

The Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes is an interactive, web-based tool, containing information on volcanic systems that belong to the active volcanic zones of Iceland. It is a collaboration of the Icelandic Meteorological Office (the state volcano observatory), the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, and the Civil Protection Department of the National Commissioner of the Iceland Police, with contributions from a large number of specialists in Iceland and elsewhere. This official publication is intended to serve as an accurate and up-to-date source of information about active volcanoes in Iceland and their characteristics. The Catalogue forms a part of an integrated volcanic risk assessment project in Iceland GOSVÁ (commenced in 2012), as well as being part of the effort of FUTUREVOLC (2012-2016) on establishing an Icelandic volcano supersite.

Copernicus Browser

The Copernicus Browser replaced the Sentinel Hub Playground browser in 2023, to provide access to Earth observation archives from the Copernicus Data Space Ecosystem, the main distribution platform for data from the EU Copernicus missions.

MIROVA

Middle InfraRed Observation of Volcanic Activity (MIROVA) is a near real time volcanic hot-spot detection system based on the analysis of MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) data. In particular, MIROVA uses the Middle InfraRed Radiation (MIR), measured over target volcanoes, in order to detect, locate and measure the heat radiation sourced from volcanic activity.

MODVOLC Thermal Alerts

Using infrared satellite Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data, scientists at the Hawai'i Institute of Geophysics and Planetology, University of Hawai'i, developed an automated system called MODVOLC to map thermal hot-spots in near real time. For each MODIS image, the algorithm automatically scans each 1 km pixel within it to check for high-temperature hot-spots. When one is found the date, time, location, and intensity are recorded. MODIS looks at every square km of the Earth every 48 hours, once during the day and once during the night, and the presence of two MODIS sensors in space allows at least four hot-spot observations every two days. Each day updated global maps are compiled to display the locations of all hot spots detected in the previous 24 hours. There is a drop-down list with volcano names which allow users to 'zoom-in' and examine the distribution of hot-spots at a variety of spatial scales.

WOVOdat
   Single Volcano View
   Temporal Evolution of Unrest
   Side by Side Volcanoes

WOVOdat is a database of volcanic unrest; instrumentally and visually recorded changes in seismicity, ground deformation, gas emission, and other parameters from their normal baselines. It is sponsored by the World Organization of Volcano Observatories (WOVO) and presently hosted at the Earth Observatory of Singapore.

GVMID Data on Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure The Global Volcano Monitoring Infrastructure Database GVMID, is aimed at documenting and improving capabilities of volcano monitoring from the ground and space. GVMID should provide a snapshot and baseline view of the techniques and instrumentation that are in place at various volcanoes, which can be use by volcano observatories as reference to setup new monitoring system or improving networks at a specific volcano. These data will allow identification of what monitoring gaps exist, which can be then targeted by remote sensing infrastructure and future instrument deployments.

Volcanic Hazard Maps

The IAVCEI Commission on Volcanic Hazards and Risk has a Volcanic Hazard Maps database designed to serve as a resource for hazard mappers (or other interested parties) to explore how common issues in hazard map development have been addressed at different volcanoes, in different countries, for different hazards, and for different intended audiences. In addition to the comprehensive, searchable Volcanic Hazard Maps Database, this website contains information about diversity of volcanic hazard maps, illustrated using examples from the database. This site is for educational purposes related to volcanic hazard maps. Hazard maps found on this website should not be used for emergency purposes. For the most recent, official hazard map for a particular volcano, please seek out the proper institutional authorities on the matter.

IRIS seismic stations/networks

Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) Data Services map showing the location of seismic stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 0.18° (about 20 km at mid-latitudes) from the given location of Fremrinámar. Users can customize a variety of filters and options in the left panel. Note that if there are no stations are known the map will default to show the entire world with a "No data matched request" error notice.

UNAVCO GPS/GNSS stations

Geodetic Data Services map from UNAVCO showing the location of GPS/GNSS stations from all available networks (permanent or temporary) within a radius of 20 km from the given location of Fremrinámar. Users can customize the data search based on station or network names, location, and time window. Requires Adobe Flash Player.

DECADE Data

The DECADE portal, still in the developmental stage, serves as an example of the proposed interoperability between The Smithsonian Institution's Global Volcanism Program, the Mapping Gas Emissions (MaGa) Database, and the EarthChem Geochemical Portal. The Deep Earth Carbon Degassing (DECADE) initiative seeks to use new and established technologies to determine accurate global fluxes of volcanic CO₂ to the atmosphere, but installing CO₂ monitoring networks on 20 of the world's 150 most actively degassing volcanoes. The group uses related laboratory-based studies (direct gas sampling and analysis, melt inclusions) to provide new data for direct degassing of deep earth carbon to the atmosphere.

Large Eruptions of Fremrinámar

Information about large Quaternary eruptions (VEI >= 4) is cataloged in the Large Magnitude Explosive Volcanic Eruptions (LaMEVE) database of the Volcano Global Risk Identification and Analysis Project (VOGRIPA).

EarthChem

EarthChem develops and maintains databases, software, and services that support the preservation, discovery, access and analysis of geochemical data, and facilitate their integration with the broad array of other available earth science parameters. EarthChem is operated by a joint team of disciplinary scientists, data scientists, data managers and information technology developers who are part of the NSF-funded data facility Integrated Earth Data Applications (IEDA). IEDA is a collaborative effort of EarthChem and the Marine Geoscience Data System (MGDS).