Baula Explained

Baula
Elevation M:	934
Location:	Iceland
Map:	Iceland
Relief:	1
Map Size:	200
Label Position:	right
Coordinates:	64.8833°N -45°W
Type:	Laccolith
Age:	3.4 million years

Baula (pronounced as /is/) is a mountain situated in the west of Iceland near Route 1, Bifröst University, and the craters of Grábrók. The mountain's reddish or orange hue is caused by its rhyolite rock composition.

Geologically, the mountain is a laccolith,^[1] a type of igneous intrusion. It was formed 3.4 million years ago.^[2]

Baula is characterized by its almost perfect cone. Nearby is Baula's “little sister,” a mountain called Litla-Baula, where rare columns of rhyolite are found. Together, Baula and Litla-Baula have often been described as Iceland's most beautiful pair of mountains.

See also

• Volcanism of Iceland

References

• Hróarsson, Björn (1994) Á ferð um landið, Borgarfjörður og Mýrar, Mál og menning (in Icelandic)

Notes and References

1. Gudmundsson A., Pasquarè F.A., Tibaldi A. (2014) Dykes, Sills, Laccoliths, and Inclined Sheets in Iceland in Advances in Volcanology, Berlin, Springer, Figure 5b.
2. Johannesson, Haukur (1975) Structure and petrochemistry of the Reykjadalur central volcano and the surrounding areas, Midwest Iceland, Doctoral thesis, Durham University.