Hofsjökull

Hofsjökull is a glacier and volcanic massif in the central highlands of Iceland. It is the country’s third-largest ice cap and occupies a remote, largely uninhabited area between the larger ice caps of Langjökull and Vatnajökull. The name comes from the Icelandic words hof (temple or farmstead) and jökull (glacier).

The ice cap has a broad, dome-like shape and conceals a volcanic edifice with a summit caldera. Outlet glaciers flow from its margins into highland valleys, and meltwater from Hofsjökull contributes to several important rivers in the interior. The area is geologically active in the broader sense of Iceland’s volcanic systems, though large eruptions at Hofsjökull are not well documented in historical records.

Access is limited by rugged terrain and unpaved highland tracks; the glacier is less visited than coastal and lowland glaciers but attracts mountaineers, snowmobile tours, and scientific expeditions interested in glaciology, volcanology, and climate research. Like other Icelandic glaciers, Hofsjökull has experienced thinning and retreat associated with regional warming and changing precipitation patterns, a focus of ongoing monitoring.

Hofsjökull’s combination of ice cover, volcanic structure, and remote highland setting makes it an important feature of Iceland’s natural landscape, both for its contribution to hydrology and for research into glacier–volcano interactions.