Dettifoss is the Icelandic waterfall often called Europe’s most powerful, plunging 44 metres into Jökulsárgljúfur canyon.
It is located in Vatnajökull National Park in northeastern Iceland, on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river. The river carries meltwater from Vatnajökull, Europe’s largest glacier by volume, giving the waterfall a notably strong and turbulent flow.
Dettifoss is about 100 metres wide. Its average flow is commonly given as roughly 193 cubic metres per second, although the volume varies with season and weather. The falls lie within the dramatic Jökulsárgljúfur canyon, which was shaped by powerful glacial floods.
Visitors sometimes confuse Dettifoss with nearby Selfoss, a smaller waterfall upstream on the same river. Dettifoss also appeared in the opening scene of the 2012 science-fiction film Prometheus, bringing the landmark international screen attention.