Baula
Appearance
Baula | |
---|---|
![]() Baula, July 2006 | |
Highest point | |
Elevation | 934 m (3,064 ft) |
Coordinates | 64°53′N 21°24′W / 64.883°N 21.400°W |
Geography | |
Geology | |
Age of rock | 3.4 million years |
Mountain type | Laccolith |
Baula is a mountain situated in the west of Iceland near Route 1, Bifröst University, and the craters of Grábrók. The mountain’s reddish or orange hue is caused by its rhyolite rock composition.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/fc/Baula.jpg/250px-Baula.jpg)
Geologically, the mountain is a laccolith,[1] a type of igneous intrusion. It was formed 3.4 million years ago.[2]
Baula is characterized by its almost perfect cone. Nearby is Baula’s “little sister,” a mountain called Litla-Baula, where rare columns of rhyolite are found. Together, Baula and Litla-Baula have often been described as Iceland's most beautiful pair of mountains.
References
- ^ Gudmundsson A., Pasquarè F.A., Tibaldi A. (2014) Dykes, Sills, Laccoliths, and Inclined Sheets in Iceland in Advances in Volcanology, Berlin, Springer, Figure 5b.
- ^ Johannesson, Haukur (1975) Structure and petrochemistry of the Reykjadalur central volcano and the surrounding areas, Midwest Iceland, Doctoral thesis, Durham University.
- Hróarsson, Björn (1994) Á ferð um landið, Borgarfjörður og Mýrar, Mál og menning ISBN 9979-3-0657-2 (in Icelandic)