Mýrdalsjökull is a glacier in the south of Iceland - to the north of Vík and to the east of the smaller glacier Eyjafjallajökull.
The icecap of the glacier covers an active volcano called Katla. The last eruption took place in 1918.
The caldera of the volcano has a diameter of 10 km (6 mi) and the volcano erupts usually every 40–80 years.
Scientists are actively monitoring the volcano, particularly after the eruption of nearby Eyjafjallajökull began in April 2010.
Since the year 930, 16 eruptions have been documented.