Kleifarvatn is the largest lake on the Reykjanes peninsula, in its southern part. It covers about 9.7 square kilometres, and its greatest recorded depth was about 97 metres in 1975. The lake also changed sharply after earthquakes in 2000.
What and where Kleifarvatn is
Kleifarvatn is a lake in the southern part of the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland, in the Krysuvik area close to the Seltun geothermal field.
The largest lake on Reykjanes
Kleifarvatn is the largest lake on the Reykjanes peninsula. It covers about 9.7 square kilometres, and its greatest recorded depth was about 97 metres in 1975.
A lake fed from below
The lake lies on the fissure zone of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. It has no visible inflow or outflow, as most of its water moves underground.
The earthquake that drained it
Earthquakes in 2000 opened cracks in the lakebed and drained more than a fifth of the lake's surface. The water level fell sharply, then began to rise again from 2004.
Seeing Kleifarvatn on Reykjanes
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