Kerid Crater
January 12, 2024
Photographer: James J. Van Gundy
Summary Author: James J. Van Gundy
Kerid crater is located in the Grímsnes region of southwestern Iceland. It’s about 890 ft (270 m) long, 560 feet (170 m) wide, and about 180 feet (55 m) deep. Its crater lake is fairly shallow with a maximum depth of about 45 feet (14 m). While there are several conflicting theories concerning its origin, Kerid is probably best considered to be a maar, a crater formed by violent steam explosions as ascending magma contacted shallow groundwater. Kerid has been radiometrically dated as approximately 6,600 years old. Note that people standing on the upper rim and on the trail at the lower right provide scale. Photo taken on October 23, 2023.
Grímsnes, Iceland Coordinates: 64.047766, -20.896835W
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