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Icelandic Volcanoes are a predominant feature in the topography of the island. Hundreds of dormant volcanoes are present in Iceland but it is the active volcanoes numbering around 30-40 that grab all the attention of the tourists.
The volcanoes of Iceland are a feature that occur due to a very unusual phenomenon. Iceland is on the mid-oceanic ridge running from the south to the north. It is in the region between the tectonic plates of America and Eurasia. The drifting of the tectonic plates at the rate of an inch per year results in fissures through which erupts molten lava and gas.
Iceland is the only one effected by this strange phenomenon. The island itself is formed of basalt,a rock formed from solidified lava. It is due to this reason that Iceland has so many active volcanoes.
The account of volcanic eruptions is quite extensive. The Viking settlers who arrived in Iceland in the 9th century started to keep records of volcanic eruptions.
The most famous volcanoes of Iceland are Hekla, Krafla, Laki-Frogufjoll, Grimsvotn, Vatnafjoll, Katla, Vestmannaeyjar and others.
The volcanoes in Iceland often form small islands of which Surtsey is one. The existence of active volcanoes is however not a threat to humans as most of them are in the uninhabited places of Iceland.
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