One of the amazing destinations in the Highlands of Iceland is Rauðibotn crater: A red and green emerald surrounded by the volcanic deserts and wastelands between Torfajökull and Mýrdalsjökull glaciers. A hike to Rauðibotn is made all the more spectacular by the river Hólmsá and its waterfalls, which form a spectacular string of pearls.

Rauðibotn is part of the Eldgjá craters, a chain of volcanic craters which stretches through the Central Highlands from Mýrdalsjökull glacier to Vatnajökull glacier. Eldgjá is connected to the monster volcano Katla, as both are part of the same volcanic system. Eldgjá has only erupted once since the VIking settlement of Iceland in the 9th century: In 934 a massive eruption, believed to be the largest volcanic eruption to take place in Iceland in the past millennia.

The size of the lava field is large enough to cover all of New York City, and then some. The impact of the eruption on global weather systems was catastrophic, causing crop failures and hunger in Europe. Temperatures all over the Northern Hemisphere dropped, causing rivers as far as present day Iran to have frozen over.

The 934 eruption produced a lava field which covers approximately 800 square kilometers of tephra and ash.

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