Access and Information
Dverghamrar are located south of the Ring Road (Route 1), approximately 15 km east of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. A short circular walking trail leads from the car park through the natural monument. A visitor rest area is available adjacent to the parking area.
The site is monitored and managed by park rangers from the western area of Vatnajökull National Park.
Interpretation
Columnar basalt forms as newly erupted lava cools. Even after the lava has solidified, it continues to cool, causing the rock to contract. Eventually, fractures develop and divide the lava into columns, which are usually five or six sided.
The columns form perpendicular to the cooling surface, which is why they stand vertically in lava flows. Near the top of a lava flow, cooling occurs more rapidly than in its interior. This faster cooling produces the irregular, blocky rock that can be seen above the more evenly formed basalt columns.
At the end of the last Ice Age, sea level around Iceland was higher than it is today. The cliffs are thought to have acquired their present form through coastal erosion during this period.
Protection
Dverghamrar was designated a natural monument in 1987. The protected area covers 2.14 hectares. The purpose of the designation is to preserve the geological formations and ecosystems of the area in their present state.
According to the classification system of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Dverghamrar is classified as a Category III protected area.