Laki is the source of the 1783 lava flow that created Iceland’s Eldhraun lava field.
The Laki fissure eruption produced one of the largest lava flows in recorded history. Basalt spread across Iceland’s Síða district, creating the Eldhraun field, whose name means “Fire Lava” in Icelandic.
The eruption was also an atmospheric disaster. Sulfur dioxide and fluorine damaged vegetation and livestock, while the resulting famine caused severe population loss in Iceland. The gases contributed to a broader haze and unusual weather in parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
Laki is often treated as a separate volcano, but it belongs to the larger Grímsvötn volcanic system. Its eruption is therefore discussed both as Laki and as the Skaftáreldar.