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CLASSROOM EARTH


I had the opportunity to take a trip to Iceland this past summer. I landed at Keflavík International Airport, the airport just outside the country’s capital, Reykjavík, that serves the entire island. The weather when I arrived was partly cloudy to cloudy with temperatures in the low to mid-50s. The wind was blow- ing greater than 20-25 mph, and never slowed throughout the trip.


Iceland is the land of fire and ice. The volcanism that makes up the major- ity of the island occurs both because of (1) its position over an active oce- anic hot spot and (2) its location on the mid-Atlantic ridge system where the North American and Eurasian Plates are spreading apart. Iceland’s geographical location lies in the North Atlantic just outside the Arctic Circle, which ensures a moderate- to polar-like climate for the small European nation. The landscape is a unique combination of young volcanic rocks, tundra and glaciers that create a stunning picture of Earth’s dynamic elements.


From the airport, I drove three hours to the southern coastal town of Vík. The eastward drive was filled with views of the vast countryside; eroding moun- tainsides and waterfalls, moss-covered basaltic rock and shrubbery, livestock and gorgeous horses, likely bred since the time of the Vikings hundreds of years ago, roaming the open plains. And, with the active volcanism (as well as the geothermal energy being utilized on the island), hints of sulfur within the air filled my nostrils throughout the journey.


Mýrdalsjökull glacier near the volcano Katla.


When I arrived in Vík, I quickly made my way to the starting location of a scheduled 3-hour Ice Cave Tour. The tour guide drove our group onto the glacier Mýrdalsjökull, near the volcano Katla, where we hiked on top of young volcanic rocks and explored two melt- ing glacial caves in the rainy and windy conditions. Katla’s volcanic eruptions have occurred very recently in geologic time, since 930 AD, and about twenty eruptions have been documented. The young volcanic bombs that are scattered over the ground throughout the country are a reminder of the ongoing volcanic activity. Additionally, the eruptions that occur are explosive because of the ice cap covering the active volcano Katla.


Once all of us on the tour were dry and warm in the vehicle (and away from the blowing cold rain), we drove back to the starting point in Vík. Finishing the tour, our guide noted that, because of the rain and melting glaciers during this part of the year (mid-summertime), the area was under a watch for a jökulhlaup (pronounced yo-cool-lop), he then gave us warm goodbyes without providing any more detailed descriptions of what this potential local event is or how it could effect us!


The Icelandic term jökulhlaup, which translates directly as “glacier run,” describes events in which large amounts of water from one of its glaciers burst outward towards the ocean — in English, a subglacial outburst flood. The outbursts occur when geothermal heat- ing from below the glacier causes melt- water to accumulate under pressure in subglacial basins until it violently bursts forth through the ice cover. Meltwater from cracks at the top of the glacier can also add more water into the subglacial basins thus increasing the pressure. When there is a significant amount of water, a tunnel valley opens in the ice blockage and can discharge the excess meltwater as a turbulent flow. This leads to strong erosion of the valley floor and a large flood of water outward towards the ocean. Once excess flow of water has ceased, the tunnel valley closes, and the process can be repeated at a later time in the season or the following year.


Icelandic countryside along the island’s Ring Road. 16 TPG • Jan.Feb.Mar 2019


Luckily for me, a jökulhlaup did not occur while I was still on the island. However, one did occur only a few days after I departed Iceland. If it had occurred while I was still on the southern coastline, I would not have been able


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