U.S. GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OPEN-FILE REPORT 95-807
October 1995
This report is preliminary and has not been reviewed for conformity with U.S. Geological Survey editorial standards.
This manuscript is available in
.rtf and
WordPerfect
formats
Any use of trade, product, or firm names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
for download, or it may be printed from this html version
(reduce
your margin width to ensure full printing of the tabular material).
Also available is a Belorussian translation (not a U.S. Government website).
When dealing with Icelandic names of physical geographic features on maps and in journal articles it is important for students of the geology of Iceland to recognize that most place-names are compound words. For example, the volcanic island Surtsey is a compound word derived from the root ey, the Icelandic word for island, and Surts, the genitive case of Surtur, a mythological Norse giant of fire (world destroyer). Svartifoss, the beautiful cascade which flows over columnar basalts along the course of Bæjargil in Skaftafell National Park, is a compound word derived from foss, the Icelandic word for waterfall, and svarti, the definite nominative case form of svartur, the Icelandic adjective for the color black. Snæfellsjökull, an imposing stratovolcano at the tip of the Snæfellsnes peninsula on the north side of Faxaflói (named after the small ice cap (11 km2) on its summit), is a compound word derived from snæ, the root of snær, an Icelandic word for snow; and fells, the genitive case of the Icelandic word for a usually isolated mountain, plus the word jökull, the Icelandic word for glacier (etymologically the same origin as the word icicle in English).
Icelandic is rich in words which describe natural features and phenomena often in a very poetic way, such as Snæfellsjökull (described above), Skjaldbreiður ("broad shield"), and Herðubreið ("broad shoulders"). Because Icelandic and English are derivations of an older parent Germanic language, some words have retained a similar spelling and usage even after the passage of more than a thousand years or more (for example, fingur-finger, frost, mýri-mire (swamp), land, norður-north, bull (nonsense), etc.). Icelandic (Old Norse) has remained virtually unchanged, while English has evolved through several well defined stages: "Old English" (pre-1100 A.D.), "Middle English" (1100 A.D. to 1500 A.D.), and "Modern English" (post-1500 A.D.) and has been strongly influenced by the Latin and French languages.
Icelandic and English share a generally common alphabet except for three Icelandic letters, eth (ð,Ð), thorn (þ, Þ), and ae (æ, Æ), three letters once used in English and four English letters not used in Icelandic. The letters c, q, w are not used in Icelandic except in a few foreign loanwords. The letter z was used in place of the s in some Icelandic words until a few years ago (for example, Íslenzk, now Íslensk). Icelandic also uses diacritical marks to denote independent vowel sounds. Modern Icelandic has 33 letters in its alphabet: a, á, b, d, ð , e, é, f, g, h, i, í, j, k, l, m, n, o, ó, p, r, s, t, u, ú, v, x, y, ý, z, þ, æ, and ö (note that words beginning with þ, æ, and ö are listed as the last three letters in Icelandic dictionaries). There are 14 discrete vowels (printed and spoken) used in Icelandic versus 6 printed vowels (and many more spoken) used in modern English. The transliteration of the Icelandic alphabet into the English alphabet usually results in the deletion of all diacritical notations over the vowels and the use of a d or D for ð and Ð, th or Th for þ and Þ, and ae or Ae for æ and Æ.
As noted before, in the past 1,100 years English has undergone profound changes; Icelandic is little changed; English has lost most of its inflexions (case endings); Icelandic has retained its inflexions (it employs four singular and plural case endings for the three grammatical genders: masculine, feminine, and neuter). Also, the Northern Branch (Icelandic, Færoese, Norwegian, Swedish, and Danish) of the Germanic Language uses a post-positive article, in which the definite article (the) generally follows and is attached to the noun, such as in the title of the Icelandic scientific journal Náttúrufræðingurinn (The Naturalist). The definite article can precede the noun if an intervening adjective is used, however, as in Hið íslenska náttúrufræðifélag (The Icelandic Natural History Society). Hinn hvíti jökull (the white glacier) can also be expressed as hvíti jökullinn. In addition, the definite article must agree in gender number and case with the noun. No indefinite article (a or an) is used in Icelandic; the absence of the definite article indicates the sense of an indefinite article.
The following masculine, feminine, and neuter nouns are declined in the singular and plural for each of the four cases: nominative (subject), accusative (direct object), dative (indirect object), and genitive (possessive), first without and then with the definite article.
jökull (glacier) - masculine noun (a glacier) (glaciers) sg. nom. jökull pl. nom. jöklar acc. jökul acc. jökla dat. jökli dat. jöklum gen. jökuls gen. jökla (the glacier) (the glaciers) sg. nom jökullinn pl. nom. jöklarnir acc. jökulinn acc. jöklana dat. jöklinum dat. jöklunum gen. jökulsins gen. jöklanna borg (rocky hill) - feminine noun (a rocky hill) (rocky hills) sg. nom. borg pl. nom. borgir acc. borg acc. borgir dat. borg dat. borgum gen. borgar gen. borga (the rocky hill) (the rocky hills) sg. nom. borgin pl. nom. borgirnar acc. borgina acc. borgirnar dat. borginni dat. borgunum gen. borgarinnar gen. borganna vatn (lake) - neuter noun (a lake) (lakes) sg. nom. vatn pl. nom. vötn acc. vatn acc. vötn dat. vatni dat. vötnum gen. vatns gen. vatna (the lake) (the lakes) sg. nom. vatnið pl. nom. vötnin acc. vatnið acc. vötnin dat. vatninu dat. vötnunum gen. vatnsins gen. vatnanna |
Jökull, borg, and vatn appear frequently as compounds in Icelandic geographic place-names, such as in Snæfellsjökull, Vatnajökull, Jökulsá á Fjöllum, etc.; Eldborg, Vikraborgir, Þrengslaborgir, etc.; and Vatnaöldur, Grænavatn, Veiðivötn, etc., respectively.
Another grammatical characteristic that Icelandic shares with English is radical changes in spelling of words in different grammatical cases and from singular to plural forms. For example, the Icelandic word for mountain, fjall, becomes fjöll in the nominative (and accusative) plural (mountains) as in Hverfjall, Hlíðarfjall, Fögrufjöll, and Dyngjufjöll. A usually isolated mountain in Icelandic is called a fell, as in Búrfell or Snæfellsjökull. The Icelandic word for island, ey, such as in Surtsey, becomes eyjar in the genitive singular, as in Eldeyjarboði, or when used in the plural for a group of islands (Vestmannaeyjar). The genitive singular case is commonly used in the first part of compound place-names in Icelandic.
The Icelandic desire to maintain the "purity" of its spoken and written language is shown in its resistance to acceptance of foreign loanwords. Hence, there is a great lack of cognates in the modern technical and scientific literature. Rather than accept foreign words, most new technical and scientific words are coined from existing Icelandic words. In addition to the challenge of learning Icelandic, the serious student of the geoscience literature of Iceland is faced with also learning a specialized scientific vocabulary with few cognates.
The appendix on Icelandic-English Glossary of Selected Geoscience Terms will assist the reader in making a smoother transition to and a better understanding of Icelandic place-names and other geoscience terms commonly used on maps and in the geoscience literature of Iceland. For those readers interested in the origin of Icelandic geographic place-names, the publications of Örnefnastofnun Þjóðminjasafns, Suðurgötu 41, IS-101 Reykjavík, are expecially usefull. In 1980 and 1983, respectively, the Director of Örnefnastofnun Þjóðminjasafns, Dr. Þórhallur Vilmundarson, edited and published the first two volumes of Grímnir (Rit um nafnfræði), a periodical devoted to scholarly research into the origin of geographic place-names in Iceland (Þórhallur Vilmundarson, 1980 and 1983). The best reference work to Icelandic geographic place-names is the two-volume set "Landið þitt", later expanded into six volumes by Þorsteinn Jósepsson and Steindór Steindórsson (1981, 1983, and 1984) and Þorsteinn Jósepsson and others (1982,1984, and 1985).
The Icelandic-English Glossary of Selected Geoscience Terms has been compiled from a variety of published sources, including glossaries or indexes included in various scientific publications, map legends or explanations, guidebooks, textbooks, journal articles, and selected dictionaries. A list of these appears at the end of the glossary in Glossary sources.
The following Icelandic-English Glossary of Selected Geoscience Terms is organized into four columns: Icelandic word (nominative singular); class of word and gender (nm, noun-masculine; nf, noun-feminine; nn, noun-neuter; am, adjective-masculine; af, adjective-feminine; an, adjective-neuter; ad, adverb; p, preposition; and c, conjunction); Icelandic word (nominative plural); and equivalent word(s) in English. Synonyms of Icelandic words are given in parentheses in the first column. Icelandic words are given for most of the subdisciplines of geology, geophysics, and geochemistry, and related subdisciplines in the geosciences. In most cases the addition of the -ingur suffix to the Icelandic word for a scientific discipline will yield the correct word for the scientist active in that discipline. For example, jarðfræði is the Icelandic word for geology; jarðfræðingur is the Icelandic word for a geologist.
Superscripts (asterisks or numbers) and dashes are used throughout the glossary to assist the reader. A single asterisk (*) signifies a loanword, a word borrowed intact or slightly naturalized from another language. It is either used independently or in a compound word (combined with an Icelandic word). A double asterisk (**) indicates that the plural form is not used in the same context. A triple asterisk (***) signifies that a plural form exists but is not commonly used . In many instances, the plural form exists in a “grammatical” sense but is not necessarily used in a “geological” sense. A dash (-) indicates either that there is no plural form or the plural form is not used - or that there is no singular form or the singular form is not used. All other superscripts are defined in Glossary notes.
| ICELANDIC | ENGLISH | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Singular | Class/Gender | Plural | |
| afflæði | nn | regression | |
| afrétt(ur) | nm | afréttir | highland pasture(s) |
| akur | nm | akrar | field(s) |
| alda | nf | öldur | rounded "smooth" ridge(s), waves(s) |
| almenn jarðfrædi | af+nf | general or physical geology | |
| andhverfa | nf | andhverfur | anticline(s) |
| andhverfuás | nm | andhverfuásar | anticlinal axis (es) |
| apalhraun | nn | apalhraun | aa lava, blocky lava |
| aska (gosmöl, gjóska, gosaska, & vikur) | nf | tephra, volcanic ash | |
| askja | nf | öskjur | caldera(s) |
| aur - (sandur) | nm nm | - aurar (sandar) | mud glacial outwash area, sandur |
| aurkeila | nf | aurkeilur | alluvial fan(s) |
| austur (1) | nn/ad | east | |
| á | nf | ár | river(s), stream(s) |
| áflæði | nn nm | - áraurar | transgression fluvial sediments |
| árbugða | nf | árbugður | meander(s) |
| árset | nn | árset | fluvial deposit(s) |
| ás | nm | ásar | small ridge(s) |
| bakki | nm | bakkar | the bank of a brook, stream, river or the sea; the edge of a gjá, the land along the coast or a river; a hill or low lying ridge |
| basalthraun* | nn | basalthraun* | basaltic lava flows |
| basískur* (4) | am | basískir* (4) | basic |
| berg (steinn) | nn | berg | rock(s) |
| bergásýnd | nf | bergásýndir | facies |
| bergfræði (bergtegundafræði) | nf | petrology | |
| berggangur | nm | berggangar | dike(s) |
| berggeitill | nm | berggeitlar | laccolith(s) |
| berggrunnur | nm | ** | bedrock |
| berghlaup (bergskriða/skriðuhlaup) | nn | berghlaup | rockslide(s) |
| berghleifur | nm | berghleifar | batholith(s) |
| bergkvika | nf | bergkvikur | magma |
| bergskriða (berghlaup/skriðuhlaup) [less common, bergskrið (nn)] | nf | bergskriður | rockslide(s) |
| bergsprunga | nf | bergsprungur | tectonic fracture(s), eruption fissure(s) |
| bergtegundafræði (bergfræði) | nf | petrology | |
| bergæð | nf | bergæðar | vein(s) |
| bjarg | nn | björg | cliff(s), rock(s), crag(s) |
| blágrýti | nn | basalt (fine-grained) (usually Tertiary-age) | |
| borg | nf | borgir | rocky hill(s), city(ies), fortification(s), castle(s) |
| borhola | nf | borholur | borehole(s) |
| botn | nm | botnar | bottom, head of a valley or fjord |
| bólstraberg | nn | pillow lava | |
| brekka | nf | brekkur | slope(s) |
| breksía* (brotaberg) | nf | breksíur* | breccia(s) |
| brennisteinn | nm | sulphur | |
| brennisteinnshver (3) | nm | brennissteinshverir (3) | solfatara(s) |
| brotaberg | nn | breccia | |
| brotakerfi | nn | brotakerfi | fracture systems(s) |
| bruni | nm | brunar | burning; in the singular form it also means a lava field |
| brunnur | nm | brunnar | wells(s), spring(s), usually manmade |
| brú | nf | brýr | bridge(s) |
| brún | nf | brúnir | edge(s), border(s) |
| brúnkol (surtarbrandur) | nn | brúnkol | lignite |
| bunga | nf | bungur | rounded hill(s) |
| byggð | nf | byggðir | inhabited district(s) |
| bær | nm | bæir | farm(s), town(s), farmhouse(s), borough(s) |
| daljökull | nm | daljöklar | valley glacier(s) |
| dalur | nm | dalir | valley(s), dale(s) |
| dasít* | nn | dacite | |
| díabas* (dólerít*/grágrýti) | nn | dolerite | |
| dílótt storkuberg | an+nn | porphyritic igneous rock | |
| djúp | nn | djúp | deep, part of the sea, long inlet |
| djúpberg | nn | plutonic rock | |
| dólerít* (díabas*/grágrýti) | nn | dolerite | |
| drag | nn | drög | shallow or indistinct water course(s) |
| dragá | nf | dragár | direct run-off river(s) |
| drangi/drangur | nm | drangar | isolated column(s) or pillars of rock |
| dyngja | nf | dyngjur | shield volcano(es), lava shield(s), dome(s) |
| dyngjuhvirfill | nm | dyngjuhvirflar | top of shield volcano(es) or lava shield(s) |
| dyngjuröð | nf | dyngjuraðir | lava shield row(s) |
| eftir ísöld (nútími) | p+nf | Post-Pleistocene, postglacial, Holocene | |
| eldborg | nf | eldborgir | lava ring(s), lava cone(s) |
| eldborgaröð | nf | eldborgaraðir | lava cone row(s) |
| eldfjall (eldstöð) | nn | eldfjöll | volcano(es) |
| eldgjá | nf | eldgjár | lava fissure(s) |
| eldgos | nf | eldgos | volcanic eruption(s) |
| eldhryggur | nm | eldhryggir | stratified ridge(s), composite ridge(s) |
| eldkeila | nf | eldkeilur | stratovolcano(es), composite cone(s) |
| eldstöð (eldfjall) | nf | eldstöðvar | volcano(es), eruption crater(s) or site(s) |
| eldur | nm | eldar | fire(s), volcanic eruption(s) |
| eldvirkni | nf | volcanism, volcanic activity | |
| engi | nn | engi | meadow(s), grassland(s) |
| ey | nf | eyjar | island(s), isle(s) |
| eyri | nf | eyrar | sandspit(s), gravel bank(s), delta(s), sand |
| eystri (1) | ad | farther east | |
| falljökull | nm | falljöklar | ice fall(s) |
| fasajafnvægi | nn | phase equilibria | |
| fell | nn | fell | hill(s), mountain(s), generally, but not in all cases, isolated |
| felling | nf | fellingar | fold(s) |
| fjall | nn | fjöll | mountain(s) |
| fjallgarður | nm | fjallgarðar | mountain range(s) |
| fjalljökull | nm | fjalljöklar | mountian glacier(s) |
| fjara (strönd) | nf | fjörur | beach(es), ebb, ebb-tide, low water |
| fjarkönnun | nf | remote sensing | |
| fjörður | nm | firðir | fjord(s) |
| flikruberg | nn | flikruberg | ignimbrite(s), welded ash-flow tuff(s) |
| flöguberg | nn | flöguberg | shale(s) |
| flóð | nn | flóð | flood(s) |
| fljót | nn | fljót | large river(s) |
| flói | nm | flóar | large bay(s), marsh(es), fens |
| fokjarðvegur | nm | loess | |
| foksandur | nm | forksandar | eolian sand |
| fornlífsöld | nf | Paleozoic Era | |
| fornsegulmagn | nn | paleomagnetism | |
| forsögulegur (4) | am | forsögulegir (4) | prehistoric |
| forsöguleg (4) | af | forsöguleg (4) | prehistoric |
| forsögulegt (4) | an | forsöguleg (4) | prehistoric |
| foss | nm | fossar | waterfall(s) |
| framskrið | nn | framskrið | glacier advance |
| frumlífsöld | nf | Proterozoic Era | |
| gabbró* | nn | gabbró* | gabbro |
| gangur | nm | gangar | dike(s) |
| garður | nm | garðar | garden(s), yard(s), dike or low wall of earth or stone |
| geislasamsæta | nf | gelslasamsætur | radioisotopes |
| geislasteinn | nm | geislasteinar | zeolite(s) |
| gervigígur | nm | gervigígar | pseudocrater(s), rootless cone(s) |
| gil | nn | gil | ravine(s), gorge(s), gully(ies) |
| gígur | nm | gígar | crater(s) |
| gjall | nn | gjall | scoria, cinder |
| gjallgígur | nm | gjallgígar | scoria cone(s) |
| gjallgígaröð | nf | gjallgígaraðir | scoria cone row(s) |
| gjallkenndur4 | am | gjallkenndir | scoriaceous |
| gjallkennd4 | af | gjallkenndar4 | scoriaceous |
| gjallkennt4 | an | gjallkennd4 | scoriaceous |
| gjá | nf | gjár | tectonic fissure(s)/chasm(s)/cleft(s) |
| gjóska (gosmöl/gosaska/aska/vikur) | nf | gjóskur | tephra/pyroclastics [infrequently used] |
| gjóskuberg | nn | gjóskuberg | tuff (indurated) |
| gljúfur | nn | gljúfur | rocky ravine(s), canyon(s), gorge(s) |
| gnípa | nf | gnípur | pinnacle(s), peak(s), mountain summit(s) |
| gnúpur (núpur/hnjúkur) | nm | gnúpar | peak(s), steep mountain(s) |
| gos (2) | nn | gos2 | eruption(s) of volcanoes and geysers |
| gosaska (aska/gosmöl/gjóska/vikur) | nf | gosöskar | tephra, volcanic ash [infrequently used] |
| gosbelti | nn | gosbelti | volcanic zone(s) |
| gosberg | nn | - | extrusive (volcanic) rock(s) |
| goshver (3) | nm | goshverir (3) | geyser |
| gosketill (askja) | nm | goskatlar | caldera(s) |
| gosmöl (gjóska/vikur/gosaska/aska) | nf | - | tephra |
| gossprunga | nf | gossprungur | eruptive fissure(s) |
| grágrýti (dólerít*/díabas*) | nn | grágrýti | dolerite(s) |
| granít* | nn | - | granite |
| granófýr* | nn | - | granophyre |
| grettistak (grjót) | nn | grettistök | glacial erratic(s) |
| grjót (grettistak/stórgrýti) ** | nn - nn | ** grjót | stones/glacial erratic(s) rocky area |
| grop | nn | - | porosity |
| grunn | nn | grunn | shoal(s), shallows |
| grunnvatn | nn | grunnvötn | ground water |
| grunnvatnsborð | nn | grunnvatnsborð | groundwater table(s) |
| grunnvatnsskil | nn | grunnvatnsskil | groundwater divide(s) |
| grænn (4) | am | grænir (4) | green |
| græn (4) | af | grænar (4) | green |
| grænt (4) | an | græn (4) | green |
| gufa | nf | gufur | steam, vapor(s) |
| gufuhver (3) | nm | gufuhverir (3) | fumerole(s), solfatara(s), steam vent(s) |
| haf (sjór) | nn | höf | sea(s), ocean(s) |
| hafís | nm | *** | sea ice |
| hagi | nm | hagar | pasture(s) |
| háhitasvæði (3) | nn | - | high-temperature geothermal area (+200o C. at 1 km depth) |
| hálendi | nn | - | highlands |
| halli (jarðlagahalli) | nm | hallar | geologic dip(s) |
| háls | nm | hálsar | ridge(s) |
| hamar | nm | hamrar | crag(s), cliff(s), precipice(s), rock(s) |
| haugur | nm | haugar | hummock(s) |
| heiði | nf | heiðar | heath(s) |
| hellir | nm | hellar | cave(s), cavern(s) |
| helluhraun | nn | helluhraun | pahoehoe lava(s), smooth lava(s) |
| héað | nn | héruð | region(s), district(s), locality(ies) |
| hitaveita | nf | hitaveitur | district-heat distribution systems(s) (geothermal) |
| hjalli | nm | hjallar | terrace(s) |
| hjarn | nn | *** | firn |
| hlíð | nf | hlíðar | slope(s), mountainside(s) |
| hljóðbrot | nn | hljóðbrot | seismic refraction(s) |
| hljóðhraðamæling | nf | hljóðhraðamælingar | exploration seismology; seismic survey(s) |
| hljóðspeglun | nf | hljóðspeglanir | seismic reflection(s) |
| hlýskeið | nn | hlýskeið | interglacial |
| hnjúkur (núpur/gnúpur) | nm | hnjúkar | peak(s) |
| hnullungur | nm | hnullungar | cobble(s)/boulder(s) |
| hnyðlingur | nm | hnyðlingar | xenolith(s) |
| hnyklaberg | nn | hnyklaberg | pillow lava(s) [infrequently used] |
| holt | nn | holt | hill(s)/wood(s)-(archaic meaning) |
| hop | nn | hop | glacier retreat(s) or recession(s) |
| hóll | nm | hólar | rounded hill(s), hillock(s), knoll(s) |
| hólmur | nm | hólmar | islet(s) |
| hóp (lónavötn) | nn | hóp | land-locked inlet(s) still influenced by tides |
| hrafntinna | nf | - | obsidian |
| hraun | nn | hraun | lava/lava flow(s), rock avalanche (rarely used; e.g., hrun) |
| hraundrýli | nn | hraundrýli | hornito(es) |
| (hraun) flæði | nn | - | effusive lava flows [term only used during an eruption] |
| hraunhellir | nm | hraunhellar | lava tube(s) |
| hreppur | nm | hreppar | rural community(ies), districts(s) |
| hringrás vatnsins | nf+nn | - | hydrologic cycle |
| hrunskriða (skriður) | nf | hrunskriður | talus |
| hryggur | nm | hryggir | ridge(s) |
| hús | nn | hús | house(s), building(s) |
| hvalbak | nn | havalbök | roche(s) moutonnée(s) |
| hvammur | nm | hvammar | grassy hollow(s), dell(s) |
| hvarfleir | nm | - | glacial varve(s) |
| hver (3) | nm | hverir (3) | hot spring(s) - (boiling or almost boiling water) |
| hverahrúður | nn | hverahrúður | hot-spring deposit(s) |
| hverfjall (öskugígur) | nn | hverfjöll | tephra ring(s) |
| hvítur (4) | am | hvítir (4) | white |
| hyrna | nf | hyrnur | mountain peak(s) (derived from horn) |
| hæð | nf | hæðir | height(s)/hill(s) |
| höfði | nm | höfðar | promontory(ies), cape(s), point(s), headland(s) |
| höfn | nf | hafnir | harbor(s), port(s) |
| innri (5) | a | - | inner |
| innskotsberg | nn | innskotsberg | intrusion(s) |
| innskotslag | nn | innskotslög | sill(s) |
| ís (6) | nm | ísar (6) | ice (singular); sea, lake, river ice (plural) |
| ísöld | nf | ** | Pleistocene Epoch |
| ísrák (jökulrák) | nf | ísrákir | glacial stria(ae) |
| ísúr (4) | am | ísúrir (4) | intermediate silica composition (52-65 percent) |
| jafnskjálftalína | nf | jafnskjálftalínur | isoseism(s) |
| jarðeðlisfræði | nf | - | geophysics |
| jarðefnafræði | nf | - | geochemistry |
| jarðeldasvæði | nn | jarðeldasvæði | volcanic zone(s) |
| jarðfræði | nf | ** | geology |
| ** | nf | jarðfræði | geosciences |
| jarðfræðikort | nn | jarðfræðikort | geologic map(s) |
| jarðgas | nn | jarðgös | natural gas(es) |
| jarðgrunnskort | nn | jarðgrunnskort | surficial geologic map(s) |
| jarðgrunnur | nm | - | surficial deposits |
| jarðhitaleit | nf | - | geothermal exploration |
| jarðhiti | nm | - | geothermal heat, activity |
| jarðlag | nn | jarðlög | geologic stratum(a) or rock(s) |
| jarðlagafræði | nf | - | stratigraphy |
| jarðlagahalli (halli) | nm | jarðlagahallar | geologic dip(s) |
| jarðlagastrik (strik) | nn | jarðlagastrik | geologic strikes(s) |
| jarðmyndun (myndun) | nf | jarðmyndanir | geologic formations |
| jarðolía | nf | jarðolíur | petroleum (plural: several types of oil) |
| jarðsaga | nf | - | historical geology |
| jarðskjálftafræði | nf | - | seismology |
| jarðskjálftamælir | nf | jarðskjálftamælar | seismograph(s) |
| jarðskjálfti (landskjálfti) | nf | jarðskjálftar | earthquake(s) |
| jarðskorpuhreyfing | nf | jarðskorpuhreyfingar | tectonics |
| jarðskorpa | nf | - | lithosphere, crust |
| jarðskrið | nn | jarðskrið | solifluction(s) |
| jarðtrog | nn | jarðtrog | geosyncline(s) |
| jarðvatn | nn | - | subsurface water |
| jarðvegur | nm | - | soil(s) |
| jökulá (jökulsá) | nf | jökulár | glacier river(s) |
| jökulalda (jökulgarður/jökulurð) | nf | jökulöldur | terminal moraine(s), drumlin(s) |
| jökulárset | nn | jökulárset | fluvioglacial deposit(s) |
| jökulberg | nn | - | tillite |
| jökulbreiða | nf | jökulbreiður | ice sheet(s) |
| - | nf | jöklabreytingar (jökulbreytingar) | glacier variation |
| jökuleyðing | nf | - | deglaciation (7) |
| jökulgap | nn | - | bergschrund |
| jökulgarður (jökulalda/jökulurð) | nm | jökulgarðar | terminal moraine(s) (moraines) |
| jökulhetta | nf | jökulhettur | ice cap(s) |
| jökulhlaup | nn | jökulhlaup | glacier outburst flood(s) |
| jökulkast | nn | jökulköst | calving(s) of glacier terminus |
| jökulkemba | nf | jökulkembur | fluted moraine(s) |
| jökulker | nn | jökulker | ice kettle(s), ice cauldron(s) |
| jökull | nm | jöklar | glacier(s) |
| jökulrák (ísrák) | nf | jökulrákir | glacial stria(ae) |
| jökulruðningur | nm | jökulruðningar | glacial till(s); ground moraine; glacial drift |
| jökulrönd | nf | jökulrendur/ jökulrandir | margin(s) of a glacier |
| jökulröst | nf | jökulrastir | ice stream(s) |
| jökulá (jökulsá) | nf | jökulár | glacier river(s) |
| jökulskál | nf | jökulskálar/jökulskálir | cirque(s) |
| jökulskeið | nn | jökulskeið | glacial epoch(s) |
| jökulsker | nn | jökulsker | nunatak(s) |
| jökulsprunga | nf | jökulsprungur | glacier crevasse(s) |
| jökulsvarf | nn | - | glacial abrasion (e.g., fine particles) |
| jökulsvörfun | nf | - | glacial erosion (the process) |
| jökultunga | nf | jökultungur | glacier tongue(s) |
| jökulurð (jökulalda/jökulgarður) | nf | jökulurðir | moraine(s) |
| jörð | nf | jarðir | earth, soil, Earth, farm(s) |
| kalkhrúður | nn | kalkrúður | calcium carbonate deposit(s) from a hot spring |
| kambur | nm | kambar | crest of hill |
| kaupstaður | nm | kaupstaðir | Icelandic town(s) with a special legal and administrative status: Reykjavík and 22 others |
| kauptún | nn | kauptún | village(s) |
| keilugangur | nf | keilugangar | inclined sheet(s) (intrusions), cone sheets |
| kelda | nf | keldur | pool(s), bottomless pit(s) |
| ker (sprengigígur) | nn | ker | maar(s) |
| kirkja | nf | kirkjur | church(es) |
| kísilgúr | nm | - | diatomite |
| kísilhrúður | nn | - | silica deposit(s) from a hot spring |
| kleif | nf | kleifar | very steep slope(s), narrow (steep) passage(s), narrow glen(s) on a mountainside, rock(s), slanted on top |
| klepragígur | nm | klepragígar | spatter cone(s), scoria cones |
| klepragígaröð | nf | klepragígaraðir | spatter cone row(s), crater row(s); mixed cone row(s) |
| klettur | nm | klettar | cliff(s)/crag(s)/rock(s) |
| klif | nn | klif | very narrow path(s) or passage(s)/ mountain pass(es), steep rock(s) |
| kol | nn | kol | coal (singular: coil in electric motor) |
| kornastærð | nf | kornastæðir | grain size(s) |
| kort (landabréf/landkort/uppdráttur) | nn | kort | map(s) |
| krókur | nm | krókar | crook/sharp bend/nook/corner or enclosed area hidden from view in the landscape |
| kubbaberg | nn | - | cube-jointed basalt |
| kvarter* | nn | - | Quaternary Period |
| kviksynði | nn | kviksyndir | quagmire(s) |
| kvikuþró | nf | kvikuþrær | magma chamber(s) |
| kvísl | nf | kvíslir | river(s), tributary(ies) |
| lag | nn | lög | layer(s), stratum(a) |
| lagskipting | nf | *** | stratification |
| lághitasvæði (3) | nn | lághitasvæði (3) | low-temperature geothermal area(s) (+150o C. at 1 km depth) |
| land | nn | lönd | land(s) area(s) |
| landabréf (kort/landkort/uppdráttur) | nn | landabréf | map(s) |
| landabréfabók | nf | landabréfabækur | atlas(es) |
| landafræði | nf | - | geography |
| landkort (kort/landabréf/uppdráttur) | nn | landkort | map(s) |
| landmæling | nf | landmælingar | geodetic surveying |
| landmótunarfræði | nf | - | geomorphology |
| landrek | nn | - | continental drift/plate tectonics |
| landskjálfti (jarðskjálfti) | nm | landskjálftar | earthquake(s) |
| laug (3) | nf | laugar | warm spring(s) |
| leir | nm | ** | clay |
| leira | nf | leirur | a muddy area, periodically flooded, in rivers or along shores of lakes |
| leirhver (3) | nm | leirhverir (3) | mudpot, boiling mudpot |
| leirsteinn | nm | - | mudstone, siltstone |
| lekt | jnf | - | permeability |
| leysing | nf | leysingar | ablation |
| leysingarvatn | nn | - | meltwater |
| lind | nf | lindir | spring(s) |
| lindá | nf | lindár | spring-fed river(s) |
| lindakalk | nn | - | travertine |
| líparít* (ljósgrýti) | nn | líparít* | rhyolite |
| ljósgrýti (líparít*) | nn | ljósgrýtí | rhyolite |
| ljósgrýtistúff* | nn | ljósgrýtistúff* | rhyolitic tuff(s) |
| loftslag | nn | - | climate |
| loftsteinn | nm | loftsteinar | meteorite(s) |
| lón | nn | lón | lagoon(s), inlet(s) |
| lónavatn (hóp) | nn | lónavötn | land-locked inlet(s) still influenced by tides |
| lækur | nm | lækir | brook(s) |
| malarás | nm | malarásar | esker(s) |
| málmgrýti | nn | - | ore |
| megineldstöð | nf | megineldstöðvar | central volcano(es) |
| melur | nm | melar | gravel(s) |
| miðlífsöld | nf | - | Mesozoic Era |
| misgengi | nn | misgengi | fault(s) |
| misgengisstallur | nm | misgengisstallar | fault scarp(s) |
| mislægi | nn | mislægi | unconformity(ies) |
| móberg | nn | - | tuff(s)/hyaloclastite(s), palagonite(s) |
| - | nf | móbergsbreksíur | hyaloclastite breccia |
| móbergshryggur | nm | móbergshryggir | hyaloclastite/palagonite ridges(s) |
| móbergsmyndun | nf | móbergsmyndanir | palagonite formation(s) |
| móbergsset | nn | móbergsset | tuffaceous sediment(s) |
| móbergsstapi (stapi) | nm | móbergsstapar | table mountain(s) |
| móbergsþursi | nm | - | palagonitic breccia |
| múli | nm | múlar | low, rounded mountain(s), headland(s) |
| myndbreyting | nf | myndbreytingar | metamorphism |
| myndbreytt berg | an+nn | mydnbreytt berg | metamorphic rock(s) |
| myndun (jarðmyndun) | nf | myndanir | geologic formation(s) |
| mynni | nn | mynni | mouth(s), outlet(s) |
| mýri | nf | mýrar | bog(s), mire(s) |
| mælikvarði | nm | mælikvarðar | scale(s) |
| möl | nf | - | gravel(s), pebble(s) |
| náma | nf | námur | quarry(ies), pit(s), mine(s) |
| náttúrlegt umhverfi | an +nn | natturleg umhverfi | natural environment(s) |
| nes (skagi) | nn | nes | peninsula(s), headland(s), point(s), cape(s) |
| norður1 | nn/ad | - | north |
| núpur (hnjúkur/gnúpur) | nm | núpar | peak(s) |
| nútími (eftir ísöld) | nm | - | Holocene or Recent Epoch |
| nyrðri1 | a | - | northern |
| nýlífsöld | nf | - | Cenozoic Era |
| oddi | nm | oddar | promontory(ies), point(s), tongue(s) of land |
| ós | nm | ósar | mouth(s) of a riverstuary(ies) |
| óseyri | nf | óseyrar | delta(s) |
| perlusteinn | nm | - | perlite |
| rafsegulmæling | nf | rafsegulmælingar | electromagnetic survey(s) |
| rauður4 | am | rauðir4 | red |
| rekbelti | nn | rekbelti | rift zone(s) |
| rétt segulmögnun | an+nn | - | normal polarity |
| reykur | nm | reykir | smoke, steam |
| rif | nn | rif | reef(s), bank(s) |
| rishryggur | nm | rishryggir | horst(s) |
| rof | nn | rof | denudation |
| rofabarð | nn | rofabörð | soil patch(es) |
| rúst | nf | rústir | palsa(en), ruin(s) |
| rönd á skriðjökli | nf+p
+nm | randir/rendur
á skriðjökli | medial moraine(s) |
| röst | nf | rastir | strong ocean (tidal) current(s) |
| samhverfa | nf | samhverfur | syncline(s) |
| samhverfuás | nm | samhverfuásar | synclinal axis(es) |
| samsætuhlutfall | nn | samsætuhlutföll | isotopic ratio(s) |
| sandalda | nf | sandöldur | dune(s) |
| sandsteinn | nm | - | sandstone |
| sandur | nm | sandar (aurar) | sand, area(s) of sand, glacial outwash plain(s) |
| segulmagn | nn | - | magnetic polarity |
| segulmæling | nf | segulmælingar | geomagnetic survey(s) |
| set | nn | set | sediment(s) |
| setberg | nn | - | sedimentary rocks |
| setlag | nn | setlög | sedimentary deposit(s), clastic sediment(s) |
| setmyndun | nf | setmyndanir | sedimentation |
| sífreri | nm | - | permafrost |
| sigdalur/sigdæld | nf | sigdalir/sigdældir | graben(s) |
| siggengi | nn | siggengi | normal fault(s) |
| sigketill | nm | sigkatlar | collapse cauldron(s) on a glacier or a volcano |
| sjávarrof | nn | - | wave abrasion or erosion |
| sjór (haf) | nm | sjóir | sea(s), ocean(s), seawater, waves or breakers [sjóir (large waves)] |
| skagi (nes) | nm | skagar | peninsula(s); headland(s), cape(s) |
| skarð | nn | skörð | mountain pass(es) |
| skálarjökull | nm | skálarjöklar | cirque glacier(s) |
| sker | nn | sker | skerry(ies) |
| - | nn | skil | geologic contact(s) |
| skjálftamiðja | nf | skjálftamiðjur | epicenter(s) |
| ** | nf | skjálftaupptök | hypocenter |
| skjálftavirkni | nf | - | seismicity |
| skógur | nm | skógar | wood(s), forest(s) |
| skriðjökull | nm | skriðjöklar | outlet glacier(s), valley glacier(s) |
| skriðuhlaup (bergskrið/berghlaup) | nn | skriðuhlaup | rock avalanche(s) |
| skriða (hrunskriða) | nm | skriður | talus |
| skriðukeila | nf | skriðukeilur | alluvial cone(s) |
| slétta | nf | sléttur | plain(s), field(s), an area of level ground |
| snefilefni útbreiðsla | nn+ nf | snefilefni utbreiðslur | trace element distribution(s) |
| sniðgengi | nn | sniðgengi | strike-slip fault(s) |
| snjóflóð (skjóskriða) | nn | snjóflóð | snow avalanche(s) |
| snjór (8) | nm | snjóar (8) | snow/lots of snow, layers of snow, snowfall(s) |
| snjóskriða (snjoflód) | nf | snjóskriður | snow avalanche(s) |
| snælína | nf | snælínur | snow line(s) |
| snær (8) | nm | - | snow |
| sprengigígaröð (öskugíraröð) | nm | sprengígaraðir | tephra ring row(s) |
| sprengigígur (ker) | nm | sprengigígar | maar(s) |
| sprengigjá | nf | sprengigjár | explosion fissure(s), maar row(s) |
| explosion chasm(s)sprunga | nf | sprungur | fissure(s), crack(s), fracture(s) |
| staður | nm | staðir | place(s), spot(s) |
| stapi (móbergsstapi) | nm | stapar | rocky hill(s), bluff(s), table mountain(s) |
| steinafræði | nf | - | mineralogy |
| steingervingafræði | nf | - | paleontology |
| steingervingur | nm | steingervingar | fossil(s) |
| steinn (berg) | nm | steinar | stone(s), rock(s) |
| steind | nf | steindir | mineral(s) |
| steintegund | nf | steintegundir | rock type(s) |
| stórgrýti | nn | stórgrýti | large rock(s), boulder(s) |
| storkuberg | nn | storkuberg | igneous rock(s) |
| strandlína | nf | strandlínur | raised beach(es), coastline(s), terrace(s) |
| strik (jarðlagastrik) | nn | strik | geologic strike |
| strönd (fjara) | nf | strendur/strandir | coast(s), shore(s), beache(es), strand(s) |
| stöð | nf | stöðvar | station(s) |
| stöðug samsæta | af+ nf | stöðugar samsætur | stable isotopes |
| suða | nf | suður | boiling(s); suður is infrequently used |
| suður (1) | nn/ad | - | south |
| súr(4) | am | súrir(4) | acidic (more than 65 percent SiO2) rocks (also applies to pH of liquids) |
| surtarbrandur (brúnkol) | nm | - | lignite |
| svartur (4) | am | svartir (4) | black |
| sveit | nf | sveitir | countryside, rural district(s) |
| svæði | nn | svæði | area(s), place(s), region(s), tract(s) of land |
| svörfun | nf | - | erosion |
| syðri (1) | a | - | southern |
| sýsla | nf | sýslur | county(ies) |
| sæluhús | nn | sæluhús | hut(s), emergency hut(s) |
| tangi | nm | tangar | narrow peninsula(s), promontory(ies), point(s) of land |
| tertíer* | nn | - | Tertiary Period |
| tímabil | nn | tímabil | period(s) |
| tindur | nm | tindar | pinnacle(s), summit(s) |
| tjörn | nf | tjarnir | small lake(s); pond(s); pool(s); tarn(s) |
| tunga | nf | tungur | tongue(s) of land usually between several rivers |
| tún | nn | tún | fertilized farm field(s) |
| undir jökli | p+nm | undir jöklum | subglacial, beneath glaciers |
| uppblástur (vindrof) | nm | - | denudation, wind erosion |
| uppdráttur (kort/landkort/landabréf) | nm | uppdrættir | map(s) |
| upphafsöld | nf | - | Archeozoic Era |
| útkulnaður4 | am | útkulnaðir4 | inactive, extinct |
| vað | nn | vöð | ford(s) |
| varða | nf | vörður | cairn(s) |
| vatn | nn | vötn | lake(s)/water |
| vatnafræði | nf | - | hydrology |
| vatnaset | nn | vatnaset | alluvium |
| vatnaskil | nn | vatnaskil | water divide(s) |
| vatnasvið | nn | vatnasvið | drainage basin(s) |
| vatnsgildi snævar | nn+ nm | - | water equivalent of snow |
| vatnshver (3) | nm | vatnshverir (3) | hot spring(s) |
| veðrun | nf | weathering | |
| veður | nn | weather | |
| vegur | nm | vegir | road(s), path(s), way(s), route(s) |
| ver | nn | ver | wet area(s), highland bog(s), nesting area(s), fishing station(s) or place(s) |
| vestur (1) | nn/ad | western | |
| viðnámsmæling | nf | viðsnámsmælingar | electrical resistance measurement(s)/survey(s) |
| vikur (aska/gosmöl/gjóska/gosaska) | nn | vikrar | pumice, lapilli, pumice flats or pumice-covered area(s) |
| vík | nf | víkur | bay(s), cove(s), creek(s) |
| vindrof (uppblástur) | nn | vindrof | deflation |
| virkur4 | am | virkir4 | active |
| viti | nm | vitar | lighthouse(s) |
| víti | nn | víti | hell / also used for explosive volcanic craters or maars |
| vogur | nm | vogar | inlet(s), cove(s), creek(s) |
| volgra (3) | nf | volgrur (3) | lukewarm spring(s) |
| völlur | nm | vellir | field(s), plain(s) |
| völuberg | nn | conglomerate | |
| yfirborðslag | nn | yfirborðslög | surficial layer(s) |
| yfirborðsvatn | nn | surface water | |
| ytri (5) | am | ytri (5) | outer |
| ytri (5) | af | ytri (5) | outer |
| ytra (5) | an | ytru (5) | outer |
| þelaurð | nf | þelaurðir | rock glacier(s) |
| þing | nn | þing | meeting(s), parliament(s) |
| þorp | nn | þorp | village(s) |
| þúfa | nf | þúfur | frost mound(s), small hillock(s), mound(s), knoll(s) |
| þursaberg | nn | þursaberg | breccia |
| þyngdarafl jarðar | nn+nf | gravity | |
| þyngdarmæling | nf | þyngdarmælingar | gravity survey(s) |
| öfugt segulmagn | an+nn | - | reverse polarity |
| ölkelda | nf | ölkeldur | cold, carbon dioxide spring(s) |
| - | nm | öræfi | wasteland, desert, wilderness |
| öskufall | nn | - | tephra fall |
| öskugígaröð (sprengigígaröð) | nf | öskugígaraðir | tephra ring row(s) |
| öskulagatímatal | nn | öskulagatímatöl | tephrochronology(ies) |
| öskugígur (hverfjall) | nm | öskugígar | tephra ring(s) |
| öxi (9) | nf | axir (9) | axe(s) |
1. Austur (east), vestur (west), norður (north), and suður (south) can be nouns (neuter) as well as adverbs; it all depends on the context in which they are used. As in English, the above adverbial form is the positive one; they also exist as adjectives in the comparative and superlative forms:
Positive (Adv.) Comparative (Adj.) Superlative (Adj.)
austur eystri or austari austastur
vestur vestri or vestari vestastur
norður nyrðri or norðari nyrstur
suður syðri syðstur
2. Gos is also used in the vernacular as an abbreviation for gosdrykkur, the Icelandic word for soda pop or a soft drink.
3. Geothermal activity in Iceland is divided into two types of areas on the basis of water temperature at a depth of 1 kilometer: (1) háhitasvæði (high-temperature areas (+200oC)) which have leirhverir or brennissteinshverir (solfataras), gufuhverir (fumeroles), goshverir (geysers), etc.; and lághitasvæði (low-temperature areas (+150oC)) which have a variety of types of vatnshverir (springs), such as hverir (hot springs; >70oC), laugar (warm springs; 30oC-70oC), and volgrur (lukewarm springs; <30oC). The distinction between hver and laug is not based solely on the water temperature; it varies throughout Iceland, depending on what is considered to be “warm” or “hot” in each district.
4. Adjectives usually have different forms in the singular and plural of masculine, feminine, and neuter grammatical genders; for example, the word green:
Singular Plural
masculine grænn grænir
feminine græn grænar
neuter grænt græn
5. Inner in Icelandic only exists as comparative (innri) and superlative (innstur) adjectives; the same holds true for outer, with ytri the comparative and ystur the superlative form of the adjective.
6. Ís is also used in the vernacular as the Icelandic word for ice cream; in the plural (ísar) it means ice cream cones, but it can also mean ice from a meteorological standpoint.
7. Deglaciation can also be expressed as eyðing jökla.
8. Snjór (snow) is a masculine noun which has very irregular declensions, including multiple spelling variations within the singular cases:
singular: nominative snjór, snær, snjár
accusative snjó, snæ, snjá
dative snjó, snæ (vi), snjá (vi)
genitive snjós/snjóar, snævar, snjávar, snjóvar
plural: nominative snjóar
accusative snjóa
dative snjóum
genitive snjóa
9. Axar (ax) is the form of the genitive case or declension; for example, Axarfjörður.
The Icelandic-English Glossary of Selected Geoscience Terms was derived from a variety of publications. In addition, I would like to give special acknowledgement to fifteen Icelandic geoscientists who critically reviewed the glossary and accompanying text and who also recommended terms for inclusion in the glossary: Helgi Björnsson, geophysicist (glaciology) and Professor, University of Oslo (Norway); Páll Einarsson, geophysicist (seismology); and Leó Kristjánsson, geophysicist (geomagnetism) - Science Institute, University of Iceland; Gylfi Már Guðbergsson, geographer (land use/botany); and Sigurður Steinþórsson, geologist (petrology), all professors in the Department of Geosciences, University of Iceland; Karl Grönvold, geologist (petrology); and Guðrun Larsen, geologist (tephrochronology) - Nordic Volcanological Institute, University of Iceland; Haukur Tómasson, geologist (regional geology) - Icelandic Museum of Natural History; the late Sigurjón Rist, hydrologist (surface water/glaciology); Jón Jónsson, geologist (regional geology); Kristján Sæmundsson, geologist (regional geology); Guðmundur Pálmason, geophysicist (heat flow); Oddur Sigurðsson, glaciologist; and Helgi Torfason, geologist (regional geology) - Icelandic Natural Energy Authority; Jón Benjamínsson, geologist - Icelandic National Center for Hygiene, Food Quality, and Environmental Protection; and and Haraldur Sigurðsson, geologist (volcanology/marine geology) - School of Oceanography, University of Rhode Island; and the late U.S. Icelandic language scholar, John G. Allee, Jr., Professor Emeritus, Department of English, George Washington University. I am especially grateful to my very good friend and colleague, Gylfi Már Guðbergsson, for his superb comprehensive (and educational) review of the glossary and for his extraordinary patience in trying, for nearly three decades, to teach me the fascinating idiosyncracies of the Icelandic language.
Armstrong, T.E., Roberts, B.B., and Swithinbank, C.W.M., 1973, Illustrated glossary of snow and ice: Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge, 60 p.
Arngrímur Sigurðsson, 1975, Íslensk-ensk orðabók: Prentsmiðjan Leiftur, Reykjavík, 942 p.
Árni Böðvarsson, editor, 1985, Íslensk orðabók (handa skólum og almenningi): Bókaútgáfa Menningarsjóðs, Reykjavík, 1263 p.
Barth, T.F.W., 1950, Volcanic geology, hot springs, and geysers of Iceland: Carnegie Institution of Washington, Publication 587, Washington, D.C., 175 p.
Einar B. Pálsson, editor, 1983, Orðanefnd byggingarverkfræðinga: Orðasafn um fráveitur [Section 1]: Tímarit Verkfræðingafélags Íslands, v. 68, no. 6, p. 98-101.
Einar B. Pálsson, editor, 1984, Orðanefnd byggingarverkfræðinga: Orðasafn um fráveitur [Sections 2 and 3]: Tímarit Verkfræðingafélags Íslands, v. 69, no. 2-4, p. 5-8.
Escritt, Tony, 1985, Iceland. A handbook for expeditions: London, the Iceland Information Centre, Ltd., 243 p.
Gylfi Már Guðbergsson, 1984, Landafræði: 1 hefti, Almenn landafræði Ísland, Námsgagnastofnun, Reykjavík, 160 p.
Hálfdánarson, Örlygur, 1981, Iceland road guide: Örn og Örlygur hf., Travel Books, third edition, Reykjavík, 440 p.
Haukur Jóhannesson, 1980, Jarðlagaskipan og þróun rekbelta á Vesturlandi: Náttúrufræðingurinn, v. 50, no. 1, p. 13-31.
Ingibjörg Kaldal and Skúli Víkingsson, 1979, Jökulsár í Skagafirði; II, jarðgrunnskort: Orkustofnun, Raforkudeild Report No. OS79044/ROD16, October, Reykjavík, 3 sheets; scale, 1:50, 000.
Jóhannesson, Haukur, Jakobsson, Sveinn P., and Sæmundsson, Kristján, compilers, 1982, South Iceland: Sheet 6 in the Geological Map of Iceland series; scale, 1:250, 000, Icelandic Museum of Natural History-Iceland Geodetic Survey, Reykjavík.
Jón Benjamínsson, 1992, Orðaskrá í jarðfræði og skyldum greinum: Reykjavík, útgefandi, Jón Benjamínsson, 191 p.
Jón Eyþórsson, 1963, Orðasafn (Helztu heiti á ís og snjó á landi): Jökull, v. 13, p. 24-28.
Jón Eyþórsson, 1964, Orðasafn (Helztu heiti á hafísum): Jökull, v. 14, p. 90-94.
Kidson, Peter, 1966, Iceland. A traveller's guide: Ferðahandbækur s/f, Reykjavík, 216 p.
Kidson, Peter, 1971, Iceland in a nutshell. Complete reference guide: Iceland Travel Books, Reykjavík, 240 p.
Kjartansson, Guðmundur, compiler, 1960, South-West Iceland: Sheet 3 in the Geological Map of Iceland series; scale, 1:250, 000, Museum of Natural History, Department of Geology and Geography; Distributed by the Iceland Geodetic Survey, Reykjavík.
Landmælingar Íslands, n. d. (1980?), Vogar, Iceland-Ísland: Fjórðungsblöðin series, Sheet No. 1512-I; scale, 1:50, 000. Also published by the U.S. Defense Mapping Agency's Hydrographic/Topographic Center in A.M.S. Series C761.
Preusser, Hubertus, 1976, The landscapes of Iceland: Types and regions: Dr. W. Junk
b. v., Publishers, The Hague, 363 p.
Rannsóknastofnun landbúnaðarins, 1968, Hafnir, Gullbringusýsla: Sheet 75 in the Vegetation Map of Iceland series; scale, 1:40, 000, Agricultural Research Institute- Iceland Geodetic Survey, Reykjavík.
Schutzbach, Werner, 1976, Island. Feuerinsel am Polarkreis: Ferdinand Dümmlers Verlag, Bonn, 269 p.
Schutzbach, Werner, 1985, Island. Feuerinsel am Polarkreis: second edition, Ferdinand Dümmlers Verlag, Bonn, 272 p.
Sigbjarnarson, Guttormur, Albertsson, Kristinn, and Einarsson, Kristinn, n. d., Geological Map of Krepputunga og Brúardalir: National Energy Authority, Electrical Power Division; scale, 1:83, 333. Reykjavík.
Sigurður Örn Bogason, 1972, Ensk-íslenzk orðabók: Ísafoldarprentsmiðja hf., Reykjavík, 862 p.
Sæmundsson, Kristján, compiler, 1977, North East Iceland: Sheet 7 in the Geological Map of Iceland series; scale, 1:250, 000, Museum of Natuaral History-Iceland Geodetic Survey, Reykjavík.
Sören Sörenson, 1984, Ensk-íslensk orðabók (með alfræðilegu ívafi): Örn og Örlygur hf., Reykjavík, 1241 p.
Thorarinsson, Sigurður, and Sæmundsson, Kristján, 1980, Volcanic activity in historial time: Jökull, v. 29 (1979), p. 29-32.
Thorarinsson, Sigurður, editor, Einarsson, Trausti, and Kjartansson, Gudmundur, 1959, On the geology and geomorphology of Iceland: Geografiska Annaler, v. 41, no. 2-3, p. 135-169.
Tómas Tryggvason and Jón Jónsson, 1958, Jarðfræðikort af nágrenni Reykjavíkur: Iðnaðardeildar Atvinnudeildar Háskólans og Skrifstofu bæjarverkfræðings; scale, 1:40, 000, Reykjavík.
Wood, C. A., Whitford-Stark, J. L., and Head, J.W., compilers, n. d., Iceland field itinerary: Basaltic Volcanism Study Project, Team 5, Distribution and Morphology of Basalt Deposits on Planets; Planetary Geology Group, Department of Geological Sciences, Brown University, Providence, Rhode Island; National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Lunar Science Institute, 55 p.
Þórhallur Vilmundarson, editor, 1980, Grímnir (Rit um nafnfræði): Örnefnastofnun Þjóðminjasafns, Reykjavík, v. 1, 143 p.
Þórhallur Vilmundarson, editor, 1983, Grímnir (Rit um nafnfræði): Örnefnastofnun Þjóðminjasafns, Reykjavík, v. 2, 144 p.
Þorleifur Einarsson, 1968, Jarðfræði. Saga bergs og lands: Mál og menning, Reykjavík, 335 p.
Þorleifur Einarsson, 1973, Jarðfræði: Heimskringla, Reykjavík, 254 p.
Þorsteinn Jósepsson and Steindór Steindórsson, 1981, Landið þitt. Ísland: v. 2 (H-K), Örn og Örlygur hf., Reykjavík, 288 p.
Þorsteinn Jósepsson and Steindór Steindórsson, 1983, Landið þitt. Ísland: v. 4 (S-T), Örn og Örlygur hf., Reykjavík, 280 p.
Þorsteinn Jósepsson and Steindór Steindórsson, 1984, Landið þitt. Ísland: v. 1 (A-G), Örn og Örlygur hf., Reykjavík, 278 p.
Þorsteinn Jósepsson, Steindór Steindórsson, and Páll Líndal, 1982, Landið þitt. Ísland: v. 3 (L-R), Örn og Örlygur hf., Reykjavík, 340 p.
Þorsteinn Jósepsson, Steindór Steindórsson, Björn Þorsteinsson, og Guðjón Ármann Eyjólfsson, 1984, Landið þitt. Ísland: v. 5 (U-O), Örn og Örlygur hf., Reykjavík, 271 p.
Þorsteinn Jósepsson, Steindór Steindórsson, and Einar Laxness, 1985, Landið þitt. Ísland: Lykilbók, Örn og Örlygur hf., Reykjavík, 416 p.