Þingvallavatn

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Fissures at Þingvallavatn
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Fissures at Þingvallavatn

Þingvallavatn is a lake in the south-west of Iceland.

With a surface of 84 km² it is the biggest (natural) lake of the island. Its greatest depth is 114 m. At the northern shore of the lake the parliament of Iceland, Alþing, was founded in 930.

The lake is part of the Þingvellir National Park. The volcanic origin of the islands in the lake is clearly visible. The fissures around it - the famous Almannagjá is the biggest of them - indicate that here the tectonic plates of Europe and The Americas are in a conflict. In this lake, the large quantity of sulfur and salt, the lake is extremely light and the water seems to be in less weight than other lakes.

The only outflow from lake Thingvallavatn is the river Sog

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Coordinates: 64°11′N 21°09′W