Formed from Magma

Iceland is a powerful place where tectonic plates formed this country millions of years ago and now are set on tearing it apart. The Mid Atlantic ridge divides the island down the middle, creating a network of over one hundred volcanoes. Standing in the valley formed by the separating of the North American and Eurasion plates and nestled in the middle of Þingvellir National Park, I felt connected to the geologic history of our planet. I will always struggle to comprehend the scale at which the earth forms and reforms itself but standing on this island is like claiming a spot on the timeline. It’s the closest I’ve ever felt to the churning magma of Earth’s core that reaches up from the depths of the planet in a plume to the underside of Iceland, aiding in the formation of the many volcanoes and the island itself. 

In 1918, Katla erupted. The heat melted the surrounding glacier, creating a flow rate greater than the world’s four largest rivers combined. The sediments deposited by this glacial flood extended the southern shoreline by five whole kilometers. While this is a massive and immediate example, the southern shores of Iceland are constantly expanding into the Atlantic ocean as material gradually settles in the area. A short distance off this coast lies the Westman islands—the newest of these born of a four year eruption from 1963 to 1967. Despite the geologic power that formed this island, it is not immune to the persistence of crashing ocean waves and intense weather. Less than one hundred years old, the island is already about half its original size and in another hundred years will probably disappear completely⁠—the process of erosion dragging it bit by bit into the cold waters of the Atlantic.

Iceland is a shining example of how creation and destruction can appear side by side. They balance each other to create the stunning landscape Iceland is known for today⁠—full of snow-capped mountains, black sand beaches, blue glaciers, thundering waterfalls, and steamy lagoons. Without the volcanoes formed through tectonic activity, the vistas that draw people to Iceland would be vastly different or nonexistent. The magic and folklore of the island are deeply intertwined with the geologic phenomena that formed it so long ago and will continue to be at the forefront as modern advances center geothermal activity in the hunt for sustainable energy. On this island the past and present collide to form a land rich with both possibility and history. 

Sources:

https://earthice.hi.is/katla_eruption_1918