This made meltwater floods to rush down the nearby rivers.

The gorge was formed by meltwater floods during the cold periglacial periods which have occurred over the last 1.2 million years.

On 14 April 2010 Eyjafjallajökull resumed erupting after a brief pause, this time from the top crater in the centre of the glacier, causing jökulhlaup (also known as meltwater floods) to rush down the nearby rivers, and requiring 800 people to be evacuated.