| Dettifoss | |
|---|---|
 Dettifoss, seen from the east (a person next to the fall provides scale) | |
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| Location | Northeast Iceland |
| Coordinates | 65°48′52.8″N 16°23′04.1″W / 65.814667°N 16.384472°W |
| Type | Cataract |
| Total height | 44 m (144 ft) |
| Number of drops | 1 |
| Watercourse | Jökulsá á Fjöllum |
| Average flow rate | 193 m³/s (6,816 cu ft/s)[1] |
Dettifoss (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈtɛhtɪˌfɔsː] ) is a waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park in Northeast Iceland, and is reputed to be the second most powerful waterfall in Europe after the Rhine Falls.[2] Dettifoss 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 sediment-rich runoff colours the water a greyish white.
The falls are 100 metres (330 ft) wide and have a drop of 44 metres (144 ft) down to the canyon Jökulsárgljúfur.[3] It is the second largest waterfall in Iceland in terms of volume discharge (behind the Urriðafoss), having an average water flow of 193 m³/s. The superlative of "most powerful" comes from its water flow multiplied by its fall distance.
- ^ "Northeast Iceland official travel website". Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 1 March 2011.
- ^ "Facts & figures". Schaffhausen, Switzerland: Interessensgemeinschaft Rheinfall. Retrieved 2019-08-20.
- ^ Dettifoss – the most powerful waterfall in all of Europe Atlas Obscura, 28 October 2016