The Smallest Caldera Lake?

by Daniel Kelly
— September 10, 2015

Along Iceland’s Golden Circle tourist route, there are many attractions for visitors to see. These are manmade or natural, including an historic church and a prominent geothermal power plant as well as waterfalls and a national park. Another of these natural attractions is Kerid Crater Lake.

Sitting in a bowl created by a once-active volcano, this little lake is a sight to behold thanks to its location in an iron-red caldera and its aquamarine water. But beyond its natural beauty, this tiny lake may have another achievement to add to its resume: smallest caldera lake in the world. The title is speculative at this point because there isn’t much information available on the lake, but it’s fun to consider.

Kerid Crater Lake, October 2009. (Credit: Wikimedia Commons User Progresschrome via Creative Commons 3.0)

The caldera that the lake sits in is relatively shallow, after all. Most articles report that it is about 180 feet deep and only about 900 feet across at its widest point. That pales in comparison to other monstrous calderas that exist across the world. These include the likes of the Yellowstone caldera that covers more than 1,500 square miles and that of New Zealand’s Lake Taupo, which has a perimeter of almost 120 miles.

Here are some more interesting facts about Kerid Crater Lake to note:

Minerals from the surrounding soil help to color its water;
Kerid Crater Lake’s water depth ranges from 21 to 42 feet deep;
Fish probably don’t live there, but there are zooplankton;
It sits in one of several volcanic craters in Iceland’s Western Volcanic Zone;
The lake is mostly fed by groundwater and can be used to judge where the area’s water table is;
And given the caldera’s ideal acoustics, Kerid Crater Lake has been the site of theatrical performances, delivered via floating platform from its center.