Dettifoss
View from the east bank with a person for scale
Location	Northeast Iceland
Coordinates	65°49′18.91″N 16°23′17.41″W / 65.8219194°N 16.3881694°W / 65.8219194; -16.3881694Coordinates: 65°49′18.91″N 16°23′17.41″W / 65.8219194°N 16.3881694°W / 65.8219194; -16.3881694
Type	Cataract
Total height	45 m (148 ft)
Number of drops	1
Watercourse	Jökulsá á Fjöllum
Average flow rate	193 m3/s (6,816 cu ft/s)[1]

Detailed view of Dettifoss

Dettifoss is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, and is reputed to be the most powerful waterfall in Europe.^[2]

It is situated on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which flows from the Vatnajökull glacier and collects water from a large area in Northeast Iceland. The falls are 100 metres (330 ft) wide and have a drop of 45 metres (150 ft) down to the Jökulsárgljúfur canyon. It is the largest waterfall in Europe in terms of volume discharge, having an average water flow of 193 m³/s.

The waterfall can be reached by a new tarmac road, finished in 2011. On the west bank there are no facilities and the view on the waterfall is somewhat hindered by the waterfall's spray. On the east bank there is an information panel maintained by the staff of Vatnajökull National Park (Vatnajökulsþjóðgarður) and a maintained track to the best viewpoints.

The closest populated areas include Vopnafjörður, Mývatn and Húsavík.

In media[link]

The musical composition 'Dettifoss' (Op.57) by Jón Leifs is inspired by this waterfall.

The waterfall features in the 2012 science-fiction film Prometheus.

See also[link]

• List of waterfalls
• Waterfalls of Iceland

References[link]

• Leffman, David; and Proctor, James (2004). The Rough Guide To Iceland, Rough Guides, 281. ISBN 1-84353-289-1.

External links[link]

• Photos from www.islandsmyndir.is
• Dettifoss on Flickr
• Dettifoss on World of Waterfalls

v t e Waterfalls of Iceland Álafoss · Aldeyjarfoss · Dettifoss · Glymur · Gjáin · Goðafoss · Gullfoss · Háifoss · Hjálparfoss · Hraunfossar · Ófærufoss · Seljalandsfoss · Selfoss · Skógafoss · Svartifoss · Þjófafoss

This Iceland location article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. v t e

Jón Leifs (1 May 1899 – 30 July 1968), was an Icelandic composer.

Jón was born in Sólheimar. He left Iceland in 1916 to study in Germany at the Leipzig Conservatory. He graduated in 1921 having studied piano, and then devoted his time to conducting and composing. He became successful as a conductor, and also as a writer.

He married pianist Annie Riethof. They had two daughters, Snót and Líf, and lived in Wernigerode and subsequently in Baden-Baden. Because his wife was Jewish, his family was harassed by the Nazis. In 1944 he moved to Sweden, and in 1945 he moved back to Iceland. After returning to Iceland he eventually divorced his wife. One of his daughters, Líf, drowned in a swimming accident off the coast of Sweden in 1947, aged only eighteen, and he wrote his string quartet Vita et Mors in her memory.

Most of his works are about Icelandic natural phenomena. In the piece Hekla he depicts the eruption of the volcano Hekla which he witnessed. Dettifoss (Op. 57) was inspired by the Dettifoss waterfall, the most powerful in Europe. In the Saga Symphony he musically portrays five characters of famous Icelandic sagas. His last work, Consolation, Intermezzo for string orchestra was written as he was dying. He died of lung cancer in Reykjavík in 1968.

Jón and his wife are the subjects of the film Tears of Stone / Tár úr steini (1995), directed by the Icelandic director Hilmar Oddsson.

Works[link]

Jón Leifs works include:

• Torrek - Intermezzo (piano piece)
• Trilogia piccola, Op. 1 (1922-24)
• Studies for solo violin, Op. 3
• Loftr-Suite, Op. 6a (1925)
• Organ Concerto, Op. 7 (1930)
• Variations on a Theme by Beethoven, Op. 8 (1930)
• Iceland Overture, Op. 9 (1926)
• Overture to 'Loftr, Op. 10 (1927)
• Icelandic Folk Dances, Op. 11 (1929-30)
• Iceland Cantata, Op. 13 (1930)
• Mors et Vita, Op. 21 (1st string quartet)(1939)
• Guðrúarkviða, Op. 22 (1940)
• Saga Symphony, Op. 26 (1941-42)
• Requiem, Op. 33b (1947)
• Baldr, Op.34 (1943-47), A Choreographic Drama in Two Acts
• Vita et Mors, Op. 36 (2nd string quartet)(1948-51)
• Réminiscence du nord, Op. 40 (1952)
• Landfall - Overture, Op. 41 (1955)
• Trois peintures abstraites, Op. 44 (Þrjú óhlutræn málverk)(1955)
• Spring Song (Vorvisa)", Op. 46 (1958)
• Jónas Hallgrímsson in memoriam, Op. 48 (1961)
• Geysir, Op. 51 (1961)
• Hekla, Op. 52 (1961) for orchestra and percussion
• Elegy, Op. 53 (1961)
• Viking's Answer (Vikingasvar), Op. 54 (1962), Intermezzo for wind ensemble, percussion, violas and double basses
• Fine I, Op. 55 (1963) (Farewell to earthly life)
• Fine II, Op. 56 (1963) (Farewell to earthly life)
• Dettifoss, Op. 57 (1964)
• Nótt (Night), Op. 59 (1964)
• Helga kviða Hundingsbana, Op.61 (1964)
• Grógaldr, Op. 62 (1965)
• Hafís (Drift Ice), Op. 63 (1965)
• El Greco, Op. 64 (3rd string quartet)(1965)
• Consolation, Intermezzo for string orchestra, Op. 66 (1968)

External links[link]

• Baldr