Bárðarbunga produced Iceland’s 2014–2015 Holuhraun lava field during a major fissure eruption.
The eruption began on 29 August 2014 in the Holuhraun lava field, north of the Bárðarbunga volcanic system. Lava continued to flow until 27 February 2015, covering about 85 square kilometres. It was Iceland’s largest lava eruption since the 18th century by volume.
Bárðarbunga is a large subglacial volcano beneath the Vatnajökull ice cap in central Iceland. A major earthquake sequence and gradual collapse of the volcano’s ice-covered caldera accompanied the event. Although the eruption occurred away from the central caldera, it was connected to the Bárðarbunga system through underground magma movement.
The eruption released substantial sulfur dioxide, which affected air quality in Iceland. It did not produce the prolonged disruption to European air travel associated with Eyjafjallajökull’s 2010 ash eruption, a common mix-up between Icelandic volcanic events.