Do you know how many waterfalls we have here in Iceland? Give us your tip, but do not google! 

 

Foss is the Icelandic word for waterfall, and the names of some of the waterfalls are delightful in themselves. There's Gufufoss (Steam Falls), Barnafoss (Children's Falls), Gullfoss (Golden Falls) or Goðafoss (the Waterfall of the Gods). 

 

So, why are there so many? Well, it all comes down to geology and geography. 

▪️ Climate. The North Atlantic is a cold, wet and windy place. That means there's a lot of rain and snow in Iceland, falling quite consistently throughout the year. All that water needs somewhere to go.

▪️ Glaciers. The large amount of rain and snow accumulates and much of it falls on to already-existing glaciers. In Iceland, more than 10 percent of the land mass is covered in glaciers. Ice melts into rivers that flow towards the sea.

▪️ Mountains. Tall mountains in the middle of the country provide the elevation required to get all that melting ice and rainwater moving downwards.

▪️ Tectonics. Iceland sits atop the intersection of North American and Eurasian plates. The landscape here is ever-changing. Layers of the earth's crust give way in sudden ridges and cliffs. Water that's flowing outward drops dramatically over the edge. And there you'll find a waterfall.