THE GATEWAY
TO ICELAND'S
MOST ACTIVE
VOLCANOS

BOOK NOW

This place might be the best interactive center I’ve ever been to. We got to be some of the first people on their new observation deck. It is amazing and definitely worth it! I learned so much about all the beautiful “mountains” I was taking pics of. They are volcanos.

Jennifer Smitter Taylor
03/04/2019
Very interesting,love nature history

Susan Caampued Vellucci
30/01/2019
Very interesting place to visit. Recommend!

Vicky Lam
10/02/2019
super gemacht, täuschend echt...

Klaus Bertsch
27/02/2019
A great learning opportunity Re volcanoes and earthquakes- very hands on

Sally Brookes
05/02/2019
Very interesting museum. You find information about volcanoes in Iceland in an interactive, entertaining way, without being to technical or boring. I really liked it and in my opinion definitely worth visiting.

Oana Toma
05/04/2019
Interesting exhibition with interactive elements and an engaging atmosphere. Read more about the volcanos, feel the earthquakes and see the historic material about the last eruptions. The shop offers some nice souvenirs. Highly enjoyable!

Tor Sten
11/03/2019
Informative, colourful, factual, warm and a good experience.

Allison McSparron-Edwards
09/02/2019
Very big experience. Great for kids. Fantastic staff 🇮🇸🇮🇸☄️☄️

Martin Blaxkjær Strømberg
14/02/2019

LAVA CENTRE INTERACTIVE EXHIBITION

Best choice

Full Experience

An interactive journey to volcanology in Iceland

3.200 kr/ Adult

Movie Show

Cinema Only

Lava Centre Movie – Educational experience

1.200 kr/ Adult

Great Value

Family Pack

Family interactive tour experience.

6.400 kr/ Family

MAGMA AND HOT ROCKS ON THE MOVE

See how large convection currents move hot mantle rock up and down beneath the huge plates and how mantle plumes (hot spots) intensify the upwelling, releasing molten rock—magma.

Icelandic volcanoes often lie on the rift zone where the tectonic plates drift apart (Divergent boundary). LAVA Centre explains this phenomena in the foyer of the centre and in the second hall on the creation and growth of Iceland and in the Intro to Volcanology hall. .

A huge mantle plume (hot spot), lies right under Iceland and is a is one of the reason for it’s activity. We find these plumes in places like Hawaii and the Galapagos. Some plumes are positioned far from tectonic plate boundaries, while others that normally represent even more activity lie near or under tectonic plate boundaries like in Iceland. At LAVA Centre here is a huge hall only talking about mantle plumes and the hot spot under Iceland.

Iceland lies on a tectonic plate divide (Divergent boundaries).In the second hall at LAVA Centre you can see how fast Iceland drifts a part in an interactive way.

In some areas the tectonic plates collide (Convergent boundaries). These can build the highest mountains or the deepest spots in the ocean and often have volcanic activities. In Iceland we do not have this but Japan is a typical area of convergent boundaries and volcanic activity due to that.