Overview
About Dimmuborgir lava field
How the pillars formed
Lava from the Lúdentarborgir and Þrengslaborgir eruption accumulated behind an obstruction beneath a hardened surface. Steam rising through the molten rock is thought to have cooled lava around it, creating pillars. When the lake drained toward Mývatn, these structures remained. Marks on some pillars record molten lava coating their sides as the partly solid surface sank.
Conservation and cultural associations
Land reclamation began after the area was transferred to the state sand-control service in 1942 because advancing sand threatened the formations. Dimmuborgir became a natural monument in 2011. Kirkjan, or the Church, is a notable arching lava cavity. The landscape is also associated with stories of Iceland's Yule Lads, giving the geological site a continuing place in Christmas folklore.
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