HEKLA

active volcano, southern Iceland, 70 mi (110 km) east of Reykjavk, the capital. Hekla stands 4,892 ft (1,491 m) above sea level, at the eastern end of the island's most extensive farming region. Of its several craters, the largest is nearly 400 ft (122 m) deep. Hekla, known in early times as the Mountain of Hell, erupted 14 times between 1104 and 1970, with major eruptions occurring in 1300, 1766, and 1947; the 1766 explosion caused great loss of life.