Editing Geography of Iceland (section)

==Geology==
{{main|Geology of Iceland}}
Iceland has extensive [[volcanism of Iceland|volcanic]] and [[geothermal activity]]. The [[rift]] associated with the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which marks the division between the [[Eurasian Plate]] and [[North American Plate|North American]] [[plate tectonics|tectonic plates]], runs across Iceland from the southwest to the northeast. This geographic feature is prominent at the [[Þingvellir]] National Park, where the [[promontory]] creates an extraordinary natural [[amphitheatre]]. The site was the home of Iceland's parliament, the [[Alþing]], which was first convened in 930. It is a common misconception that Þingvellir is at the juncture between the North American and Eurasian continental plates. However, they are in fact at the juncture of the North American continental plate and a smaller plate (approx. 10,000&nbsp;km<sup>2</sup>) called the Hreppar Microplate (Hreppaflekinn).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Plate boundaries, rifts and transforms in Iceland |url=http://jardvis.hi.is/sites/jardvis.hi.is/files/Pdf_skjol/Jokull58_pdf/jokull58-einarsson.pdf |access-date=19 March 2014 |website=[[Jökull (journal)|Jökull]] No. 58, 2008 |publisher=Institute of Earth Sciences, University of Iceland |archive-date=18 November 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171118113203/http://jardvis.hi.is/sites/jardvis.hi.is/files/Pdf_skjol/Jokull58_pdf/jokull58-einarsson.pdf |url-status=dead }}</ref> From 1963 to 1967, the island of [[Surtsey]] was created on the southwest coast by a volcanic eruption.

===Geological activity===
{{See also|Geothermal power in Iceland}}
[[File:Erupting geysir.jpg|thumb|[[Geysir]] erupting in September 2000]]
A geologically young land, Iceland is located on both the [[Iceland hotspot]] and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, which runs right through it. This location means that the island is highly geologically active with earthquakes and volcanoes, notably Hekla, Eldgjá, Herðubreið and Eldfell. Eyjafjallajökull (1,666 m) [[2010 eruptions of Eyjafjallajökull|erupted]] in 2010, disrupting European air traffic.<ref>{{Cite web |title=The World Factbook – Central Intelligence Agency |url=https://www.cia.gov/the-world-factbook/countries/iceland/ |access-date=17 September 2018 |website=www.cia.gov |language=en}}</ref> To demonstrate the geothermal activity, the [[Icelandic Meteorological Office]] said that during a single week in February 2021, around 17,000 earthquakes have hit the southwestern region of [[Reykjanes]].<ref>{{Cite web |last=Siad |first=Arnaud |title=17,000 earthquakes hit Iceland in the past week. An eruption could be imminent |url=https://www.cnn.com/2021/03/03/world/iceland-volcano-eruption-keilir-intl-latam/index.html |access-date=4 March 2021 |website=CNN|date=3 March 2021 }}</ref>

Iceland has many [[geyser]]s, including [[Geysir]], from which the English word ''geyser'' is derived. 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 approximately 30 active volcanic systems.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Carmichael |first=I.S.E. |year=1964 |title=The Petrology of Thingmuli, a Tertiary Volcano in Eastern Iceland |url=http://wiki.web.ru/images/7/78/Carmichael64.pdf |journal=Journal of Petrology |volume=5 |issue=3 |pages=435–460 |doi=10.1093/petrology/5.3.435}}</ref>