The wondrous world under the surface - Iceland 2018

A journey into Raufarhólshellir is a unique experience and a great opportunity to witness the inner workings of a volcanic eruption as one walks in the path of lava that flowed during the Leitahraun eruption, which occurred east of the Bláfjöll mountains about 5200 years ago. Every winter spectacular ice sculptures are formed inside the entrance of the cave making the experience of visiting the lava tunnel even more breathtaking.

The total length of the tunnel is an impressive 1360 m (4500 ft), the main tunnel being 900 m (3000 ft) long. The tunnel is up to 30 m wide with headroom up to 10 m high, making it one of the most expansive lava tunnels in Iceland. Near the entrance of the tunnel the ceiling has caved in creating three beautiful columns of light inside the tunnel. At the end of Raufarhólshellir the tunnel branches into three smaller tunnels where magnificent lava falls and formations are clearly visible.

Raufarhólshellir is a lava tube formed during the Leitahraun eruption and is one of Iceland´s longest cave.

Lava tubes are a natural conduit formed when an active low-viscosity lava flow develops a continuous and hard crust, which thickens and forms a roof above the still-flowing lava stream. Up until the last century, the tunnel was full of stalactites but in the 1950s, more and more people started visiting the tunnel and as a result the stalactites began to disappear and today almost none are left.

A trip through Raufarhólshellir is a unique opportunity to get a close look of the impressive forces of nature that emerge from the center of the earth and a guided tour of the wondrous world that can be found just under the surface.

https://thelavatunnel.is/lava-tunnel/

Iceland 2018
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