Editing Iceland (section)

===Geology===
{{main|Geology of Iceland}}
{{see also|Iceland hotspot}}
[[File:Erupting geysir.jpg|thumb|The erupting [[Geysir]] in [[Haukadalur]] valley, the oldest known [[geyser]] in the world]]
[[File:Iceland - 2017-02-22 - Gullfoss - 3677.jpg|thumb|[[Gullfoss]], an iconic waterfall of Iceland]]
A geologically young land at 16 to 18 million years old, Iceland is the surface expression of the [[Iceland Plateau]], a [[large igneous province]] forming as a result of volcanism from the [[Iceland hotspot]] and along the [[Mid-Atlantic Ridge]], the latter of which runs right through it.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tobias-weisenberger.de/6Iceland.html |title=Introduction to the geology of Iceland |author=Tobias Weisenberger |year=2013 |access-date=4 April 2023 |archive-date=26 June 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210626040533/http://www.tobias-weisenberger.de/6Iceland.html |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{cite book|last1=Bott|first1=Martin H. P.|last2=Saxov|first2=Svend|last3=Talwani|first3=Manik|last4=Thiede|first4=Jörn|title=Structure and Development of the Greenland-Scotland Ridge: New Methods and Concepts|publisher=[[Springer Science+Business Media]]|year=1983|page=464|isbn=978-1-4613-3487-3}}</ref> This means that the island is highly geologically active with many volcanoes including [[Hekla]], [[Eldgjá]], [[Herðubreið]], and [[Eldfell]].<ref>{{cite book |last=Simmonds |first=Jane |year=1999 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=4-puvJH_lykC&pg=PAPA100 |title=Iceland |publisher=[[Langenscheidt]] |page=100 |isbn=978-0-88729-176-0 |access-date=30 November 2018 |archive-date=10 June 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240610033235/https://books.google.com/books?id=4-puvJH_lykC&pg=PAPA100#v=onepage&q&f=false |url-status=live }}</ref> The volcanic eruption of [[Laki]] in 1783–1784 caused a famine that killed nearly a quarter of the island's population.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/ice/lec19/holocene.htm |title=Late Holocene climate |author=James S. Aber |publisher=[[Emporia State University]], Kansas |year=2015 |access-date=10 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110613164351/http://academic.emporia.edu/aberjame/ice/lec19/holocene.htm |archive-date=13 June 2011 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In addition, the eruption caused dust clouds and haze to appear over most of Europe and parts of Asia and Africa for several months afterwards, and affected climates in other areas.<ref>{{cite journal |url=http://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/30/09/86/PDF/acpd-3-1599-2003.pdf |title=Atmospheric impact of the 1783–1784 Laki Eruption: Part II Climatic effect of sulphate aerosol |journal=Atmospheric Chemistry and Physics Discussions |volume=3 |issue=2 |pages=1599 |author1=Highwood, E. J. |author2=Stevenson, D. S. |year=2003 |access-date=10 February 2010 |bibcode=2003ACP.....3.1177H |doi=10.5194/acpd-3-1599-2003 |doi-access=free |archive-date=24 September 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130924101652/http://hal-insu.archives-ouvertes.fr/docs/00/30/09/86/PDF/acpd-3-1599-2003.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

Iceland has many [[geyser]]s, including [[Geysir]], from which the English word is derived, and the famous [[Strokkur]], which erupts every 8–10&nbsp;minutes. After a phase of inactivity, Geysir started erupting again after a [[2000 Iceland earthquakes|series of earthquakes in 2000]]. Geysir has since grown quieter and does not erupt often.<ref>[http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/nature_and_travel/2016/02/21/rare_eruption_of_iceland_s_most_famous_hot_spring_g/ Rare eruption of Iceland's most famous hot spring] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519160000/http://icelandmonitor.mbl.is/news/nature_and_travel/2016/02/21/rare_eruption_of_iceland_s_most_famous_hot_spring_g/ |date=19 May 2017 }}. Iceland monitor</ref>

With the widespread availability of [[geothermal power]] and the harnessing of many rivers and waterfalls for [[hydroelectricity]], most residents have access to inexpensive hot water, heating, and electricity. The island is composed primarily of [[basalt]], a low-[[silica]] lava associated with [[effusive eruption|effusive volcanism]] as has occurred also in [[Hawaii]]. Iceland, however, has a variety of volcanic types (composite and fissure), many producing more evolved lavas such as [[rhyolite]] and [[andesite]]. Iceland has hundreds of volcanoes with about 30 active volcanic systems.<ref>{{Cite journal |author=Carmichael, I.S.E. |year=1964 |title=The Petrology of Thingmuli, a Tertiary Volcano in Eastern Iceland |journal=Journal of Petrology |url=http://wiki.web.ru/images/7/78/Carmichael64.pdf |doi=10.1093/petrology/5.3.435 |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=435–460 |bibcode=1964JPet....5..435C |access-date=28 April 2012 |archive-date=14 October 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171014090840/http://wiki.web.ru/images/7/78/Carmichael64.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[Surtsey]], one of the youngest islands in the world, is part of Iceland. Named after [[Surtr]], it rose above the ocean in a series of volcanic eruptions between 8 November 1963 and 5 June 1968.<ref name="CIA Govt"/> Only scientists researching the growth of new life are allowed to visit the island.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://iceland.vefur.is/iceland_nature/Volcanoes_in_Iceland/surtsey.htm |title=Surtsey volcano |publisher=Iceland.vefur.is |access-date=10 February 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091208114622/http://iceland.vefur.is/iceland_nature/Volcanoes_in_Iceland/surtsey.htm |archive-date=8 December 2009 |url-status=dead}}</ref>

The country has around 30 [[volcanism in Iceland|active volcanic]] systems. Within each are volcano-tectonic fissure systems and many, but not all of them, also have at least one [[central volcano]] (mostly in the form of a [[stratovolcano]], sometimes of a [[shield volcano]] with a [[magma chamber]] underneath). Several classifications of the systems exist, for example there is one of 30 systems,<ref name=Andrews2008>{{cite thesis|url=http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=991146220&dok_var=d1&dok_ext=pdf&filename=991146220.pdf |title=PhD Dissertation: Volcanotectonic Evolution and Characteristic Volcanism of the Neovolcanic Zone of Iceland |access-date=2011-05-24 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120309212602/http://deposit.ddb.de/cgi-bin/dokserv?idn=991146220&dok_var=d1&dok_ext=pdf&filename=991146220.pdf |archive-date=2012-03-09 |publisher =Georg-August-Universität, Göttingen|first1 = R. E. B.|last1= Andrew|year =2008|pages=1–122}}</ref>{{rp|10}} and one of 34 systems, with the later currently being used in Iceland itself.<ref name=EIV>{{cite web|url =https://icelandicvolcanoes.is|title =Catalogue of Icelandic Volcanoes|access-date =13 January 2024| publisher =Icelandic Meteorological Office, Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Iceland, Civil Protection Department of the National Commissioner of the Iceland Police|year=2019}}</ref>