Question 1

True or false: Dettifoss is located on the Jökulsá á Fjöllum river, which originates from a glacier.

Accepted Answer

True. The river flows from the Vatnajökull glacier, giving Dettifoss its milky, sediment-rich glacial water.

Question 2

True or false: Visitors can safely swim in the pool directly at the base of Dettifoss.

Accepted Answer

False. The plunge pool is extremely dangerous due to powerful currents, cold water, and submerged rocks—no swimming allowed.

Question 3

True or false: Dettifoss is taller than Niagara Falls, with a drop of over 100 meters.

Accepted Answer

False. Dettifoss drops about 44 meters, far less than Niagara Falls (51 meters). Its fame comes from volume, not height.

Question 4

True or false: Dettifoss freezes completely solid every winter, stopping all water flow.

Accepted Answer

False. While ice forms around the edges and mist freezes on rocks, the main flow rarely freezes solid due to high volume and current.

Question 5

True or false: Dettifoss has a lesser-known twin waterfall called Selfoss just a kilometer upstream.

Accepted Answer

False. Selfoss is indeed nearby, but it's a separate, wider waterfall—not a twin. The statement is false because it claims they are twins.

Question 6

True or false: Dettifoss is the most powerful waterfall in Europe by volume of water.

Accepted Answer

True. With an average water flow of 193 cubic meters per second, Dettifoss indeed holds the title of Europe's most powerful waterfall.

Question 7

True or false: The canyon downstream of Dettifoss is part of a massive volcanic fissure system.

Accepted Answer

True. Jökulsárgljúfur canyon was formed by catastrophic glacial floods and volcanic activity, part of the Krafla fissure swarm.

Question 8

True or false: The waterfall is featured in the opening scene of the movie 'Prometheus' (2012).

Accepted Answer

True. Ridley Scott used footage of Dettifoss as the backdrop for the film's opening, depicting an ancient Earth landscape.

Dettifoss Trivia Questions