Skútustaǎagigar

Skútustaðagígar, located in the Mývatn area of northern Iceland, is a group of pseudocraters. Pseudocraters resemble real volcanic craters but differ in that they are not actual vents from which lava erupts. Their defining feature is the absence of any magma conduit connected to the planet’s subsurface.

Pseudocraters form when flowing hot lava crosses a wet surface, such as a swamp, lake, or pond, causing steam explosions. The explosive gases break through the surface of the lava in a way similar to a phreatic (steam) eruption. The volcanic debris creates crater-like shapes that look very much like real volcanic craters.