PHYSICAL GEOGRAPHY 



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extend outward upon Reykjanes and Snaefellsnes. The mountain- 

 chain on Reykjanes is broad and flat at the top; it is divided into 

 several smaller plateaus (800 600 metres) with rows of craters 

 and volcanic mountain-tops, and it sinks down more and more 

 towards the west so that the extreme end of the peninsula consists 

 chiefly of low-lying lava-fields with a few low, isolated mountain- 

 tops. The mountain-chain which extends toward Snaefellsnes is 

 higher (600 900 metres), but much narrower; it is also very vol- 



Fig. 1. Snsefellsjokull (West Iceland). 



canic and terminates in the ancient, ice-capped volcano, Snaefells- 

 jokull (1446 metres). 



In North Iceland several great mountain-masses proceed from 

 the high land outward upon the peninsulas, and from the head of 

 the fjords long valleys extend into the country; by the extensive 

 branching of the valleys, the mountains are divided into a number 

 of ridges and peaks, which however when examined more closely, 

 prove to have been cut out of an originally continuous plateau. 

 Several valleys lead up from Hunafloi, of which the western are 

 narrow, but the eastern (Vi5idalur, Vatnsdalur, Blondudalur) are 

 broader and more fertile; these latter open out toward the low land 

 (Thing) at the head of Hunafloi. The large peninsula between Skaga- 

 fjorSur and Eyjafjorftur is occupied by mighty, steep mountain- 

 masses which are intersected on both sides by numerous valleys, 

 the largest (Oxnadalur, Horgardalur, Svarfaftardalur) being on the 



