Seljalandsfoss (Iceland) – Location, Height, Geography & Facts

Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall in Iceland. It lies at approximately 63.

Seljalandsfoss, Iceland.

Country: Iceland
Coordinates: 63.6158° N, 19.9928° W

Seljalandsfoss overview

Seljalandsfoss is a waterfall in Iceland. It lies at approximately 63.6156°N, 19.9896°W and has a vertical drop of about 60 metres. The waterfall is fed by the Seljalandsá, a river sourced primarily from meltwater of the Eyjafjallajökull glacier, which gives it a largely glacial hydrology. Seljalandsfoss is significant as a geomorphological example of a plunge-type fall that flows over a former coastal cliff, with a pronounced recess behind the falling water.

Seljalandsfoss coordinates

Seljalandsfoss is commonly mapped at approximately 63.6158° N, 19.9928° W, or 63.6158, -19.9928 in decimal degrees.

Degrees: 63.6158° N, 19.9928° W

Decimal: 63.6158, -19.9928

Where Seljalandsfoss is located

Seljalandsfoss is situated on Iceland’s southern coastline within the administrative boundaries of Rangárþing eystra in the Southern Region (Suðurland). The waterfall stands where the Seljalandsá descends from the Eyjafjallajökull massif toward the lowland coastal plain. Nearby geomorphological features include the volcanic dome of Eyjafjallajökull to the north and adjacent glacial outwash plains to the south. The site occupies a transitional zone between upland volcanic terrain and the Holocene coastal sediments.

Why Seljalandsfoss is important

Seljalandsfoss matters for its combination of glacial hydrology, coastal geomorphology, and an accessible rear-facing recess carved into a former sea cliff. The steady discharge from Eyjafjallajökull produces a relatively uniform curtain of water approximately 60 metres high, making it a clear example of a plunge waterfall fed by glacial melt. Its cavernous back-channel distinguishes Seljalandsfoss from nearby falls by exposing stratified volcanic deposits and ongoing erosion processes that are useful to geologists studying post-glacial shoreline retreat.

History of Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss developed after the Last Glacial Maximum when rising sea levels and glacial retreat left a pronounced marine terrace and sea cliffs along Iceland’s southern shore. The Seljalandsá established a new course over that raised coastal scarp, and subsequent fluvial erosion produced the vertical drop that defines the waterfall. Volcanic activity in the Eyjafjallajökull catchment has episodically altered the sediment load and flow regime; for example, the 2010 eruption delivered ash and tephra to the drainage basin, temporarily changing sediment transport and channel morphology feeding Seljalandsfoss. Long-term retreat of the cliff face continues through abrasion and plunge-pool undercutting.

Natural features of Seljalandsfoss

The waterfall drops over a rocky escarpment composed of interbedded basaltic lava flows and unconsolidated tephra layers from Holocene eruptions, producing contrast in erosion resistance. Seljalandsfoss displays a curtain-like fall with a recessed cave behind the water where softer deposits have been preferentially removed, exposing vertical bedding and columnar jointing in harder units. Spray zones support dense moss mats on the cliff face, and a plunge pool at the base reflects ongoing scour and sediment transport dynamics characteristic of glacially fed falls.

Environment, protection, and monitoring of Seljalandsfoss

Seljalandsfoss falls under the jurisdiction of Rangárþing eystra and is subject to Icelandic nature conservation statutes and local land-use regulations. Scientific monitoring has focused on cliff erosion rates, sediment flux from the Eyjafjallajökull catchment, and the influence of volcanic ash on hydrology and vegetation. Management efforts by municipal and national agencies emphasize geological assessment and habitat monitoring as long-term priorities to understand erosion, sedimentation, and the stability of the cliff and rear recess.

Seljalandsfoss facts

Seljalandsfoss formed where the Seljalandsá flows over a post-glacial coastal scarp left by sea-level changes after the last Ice Age.
The vertical drop of Seljalandsfoss is roughly 60 metres, and its flow is sustained primarily by meltwater from the Eyjafjallajökull glacier.
The cavern behind the curtain of water exposes layered volcanic deposits and columnar basalt that illustrate contrasts in rock resistance.
Photographers and film crews have frequently used the rear-facing recess of the falls because it provides an unobstructed backlit view of the falling water.
Seljalandsfoss lies within Rangárþing eystra in Iceland’s Southern Region and is managed under national conservation regulations and local geological monitoring programs.

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