5. Kerlingarbás – craters and dykes

At the SW coast of Reykjanes, exellent exposures into recent volcanic formations are found. One of the most impressive site is Kerlingarbás, a creek on the SW coast of Reykjanes.  In cliffs above the shore, cross-sections through several craters can be seen, both scoria cones and tuff cones. They belong to the two Stampar crater rows, running approximately 4 km inland from the coast. They formed c. 1900 and 800 yrs. ago. Both the eruption fissures extended into the sea at Kerlingarbás. Surtseyan eruptions occured on their seaward parts, forming tuff cones, while lava flowed on land. In the southern part of Kerlingarbás two thin dykes cut through one of the tuff cones, feeding an overlying lava.

Magnús Á. Sigurgreirsson, 2010