Mývatn

A shallow lake (2.5 metres deep on average, 4.5 at most) created by a great basaltic eruption 2,300 years ago, in country still volcanically active near Krafla. The landforms around it are all volcanic: lava pillars, and rootless vents thrown up where lava crossed wet ground. Nutrient-rich spring water feeds it and the insect life is enormous, which is what brings the waterbirds, especially the ducks. The name means lake of midges, and in summer that is not a metaphor. The lake, the river Laxá and the wetlands are protected across 4,400 square kilometres.