Vatnajökull National Park is the largest national park in Iceland, covering about a seventh of the country. It is centered on Vatnajökull, the largest ice cap in Europe by volume, beneath which lie active volcanoes such as Grímsvötn and Bárðarbunga. The park includes Skaftafell, the canyon of Jökulsárgljúfur with the Dettifoss waterfall, one of the most powerful in Europe, and Ásbyrgi. The interaction between volcanism and ice is spectacular and sometimes causes sudden glacial floods called jökulhlaups. The glacial lagoon of Jökulsárlón lies just outside the park. UNESCO inscribed it as a World Heritage Site in 2019, and the glacier is retreating because of climate warming.
Before and after
- 12 May 20082008 Sichuan earthquake
- 19 May 2008First flight of Yakovlev SJ-100
- 23 May 2008Founding of Union of South American Nations
- 30 May 2008Discovery of MOA-2007-BLG-192Lb
- 7 June 2008Establishment of Vatnajökull National Park
- 21 June 2008Release of WALL-E
- 13 July 2008Founding of Union for the Mediterranean
- 3 August 2008Death of Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
- from 7 August 2008 to 12 August 2008Russo-Georgian War
More in Earth & climate
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- 20032003 European heat wave
- 2005Hurricane Katrina
- 12 January 20102010 Haiti earthquake
- 25 April 2015April 2015 Nepal earthquake
- 28 March 20252025 Myanmar earthquake
The era
This moment belongs to the Contemporary world (1945 CE to today), the world since 1945. You can also browse everything in the 21st century.
