- Grundarfjordur is a fishing village set in an idyllic fjord, located on the north coast of the Snæfellsnes Peninsula. The town is surrounded by exceptionally beautiful mountains with its most notable being Mount Kirkjufell. The main attraction is the Snæfellsjokull National Park with its majestic glacier and incredible landscape of lava fields, waterfalls, caves, calderas and basalt cliffs.Landscape Grundarfjordur 10,000 Years from Now -Volcanic eruptions have become an increasing problem in Iceland in the past decade or so in addition to increasing problems with sulfur fumes. In the future if there are large explosive eruptions, they can inject a tremendous volume of sulfur aerosols into the stratosphere & lead to lower surface temperatures and promote depletion of the Earth's ozone layer. Because carbon dioxide gas is heavier than air, the gas may flow into in low-lying areas and collect in the soil. The concentration of carbon dioxide gas in these areas can be lethal to people, animals, and vegetation. In 10,000 years, worsening seismic activity causes more active volcanoes which results in a more inhospitable landscape due to a rise in unhealthy, noxious gasses. Consequently, there will be more powerful earthquakes in Iceland awakening their giant volcanoes.
Because of its northerly location, about one tenth of this entirely volcanic country is covered by glaciers. Most of the glaciers sit on top of active volcanoes. 1 million years from now-Iceland is a heavily glacial country. Iceland, lying just below the Arctic Circle, is one of the fastest-warming places on the planet – as much a four times the Northern Hemisphere average. The 300-some glaciers that cover more than 10 percent of the island are losing an average of 11 billion tons of ice a year. Consequently, this can cause mass flooding and submergence of low-lying coastal areas once all of it melts. That would essentially make Iceland appear smaller. The overflow of water from melted ice into rivers can also cause flooding around the rivers. Villages that are set up around rivers could be destroyed when river banks burst.
This picture shows a glacier in Iceland in year 2006 and 2009. The glacier has obviously decreased dramatically in size. This is due to increasing global temperatures, increased volcanic activities and variations in short-term and long term climate changes. increasing global temperatures, and variations in short-term weather and long-term climate changes.
100 million years from now –Iceland sits on top of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a vast volcanic mountain chain that is entirely submerged except in Iceland. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge marks the plate boundary between the North American plate to the west, and the Eurasian plate to the east. They move apart in this region at a rate of about 2 cm per year. Iceland derives its volcanism in part from the spreading of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, and in part from a hot spot located in the mantle beneath central Iceland. The combined volcanic production of the hot spot and the spreading ridge is much higher than on normal mid-ocean ridges, and as a result Iceland has risen well above sea level. If Iceland continues to rise above sea level this can cause displacement of large percentages of the population. It can also cause Amplification of damage from intense storms due to the weakening of natural barriers.
Iceland is the only place in the world where the mid atlantic ridge rises above the surface of the ocean. Hence, you actually see the crust of the earth ripping apart . Consequently, there's an immense amount of volcanic and seismic activity.
In conclusion, Grundarfjordur has diverse landscape and rich literary heritage. Its many geological features and rich fishing grounds are unique to most parts of the world making Grunarfjordur a place to add on your bucket list to visit. Although the future of Iceland is unknown we can definitely interpret some landscape differences as well as potential issues the next generations may have to endure.- Sources:
- http://heybehappy.com/iceland-2.html/
- www.icelandictimes.com/section.php?id=10529&id_art=11037
- http://www.islandsfirst.org/issues/sea_level_rise.html
- http://www.icelandexport.is/english/about_iceland/geography_and_climate_in_iceland/
- http://www.jonfr.com/volcano/
- www.amusingplanet.com/2014/09/the-mid-atlantic-ridge-in-iceland.html
- http://www.gso.uri.edu/lava/Iceland/Iceland.html
- http://volcanoes.usgs.gov/hazards/gas/
Sunday, December 7, 2014
Thursday, November 13, 2014
In Grundarfjordur, Iceland the biggest landmark is Mount Kirkjufell. Mount Kirkjufell is about 1,500 feet above sea level.Kirkjufell stands on a little peninsula of its own, a stunning backdrop for the northern lights(aurora borealis).
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A view of Mount Kirkjufell and the beautiful northern skies in September
Aurora Borealis (Northern lights) explained- The sun acts as an enormous power plant. Energy is created deep inside the core of the sun. In the core of the sun the temperature is over an astounding 14 million degrees . The pressure is so enormous that hydrogen atoms are squeezed together into another element which is helium. This nuclear reaction releases energy and the light radiates outward from the core of the sun.The heat moves to the surface in convection cells. These electrical currents of charged gas create magnetic fields inside the sun. In some places strong magnetic fields push their way up through the surface and slow down the hot gas. The surface cools and darker sun spots appear. The electrically charged gas (plasma) drags the magnetic field further outward. The magnetic field stretches and pulls until it breaks. This results in several billions tons of plasma being hurled out from the sun (solar storm). After 18 hours the solar storm reaches earth. When the solar storm reaches our planet earths magnetic field deflects the storm. The magnetic fields couple together and create a funnel for the gas streams down on the daylight side of the pole resulting in the daylight aurora. The magnetic fields stretches further back and couples together and the magnetic rubber bands breaks and gas from the solar storm stream along the magnetic lines towards the poles on the night side resulting in the night time aurora.
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| An exquisite view of the multi- colored sky behind Kirkjufell |
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| Kirkjufell with the northern lights dancing in the winter sky. |
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| Kirkjufell provides a stunning backdrop for the multicolored nighttime Icelandic sky. |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=knwiWm4DpvQ
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/12/11/mount-kirkjufell_n_4414378.html
http://stuckiniceland.com/west/kirkjufell_mountain_iceland/
Tuesday, October 14, 2014
Calderas and Basalt flows
Iceland is home to beautiful lava fields, waterfalls, caves, calderas and basalt cliffs. Calderas are formed when the surface of the earth that is volcanic active is injected with magma. This causes earths surface to be pushed up. As the magma leaves the magma chamber there is nothing left to hold up the overlying rock which results in it collapsing to where the chamber used to be in a circular shape called a caldera. There are different types of calderas. There is explosive calderas which are common to volcanoes with very viscous lava and high amounts of gas under pressure. The viscosity, or stickiness, of the lava relates to the silica content. Magma high in silica is more viscous than lava low in silica
Non Explosive calderas are dramatically less destructive. The magma feeding these volcanoes is basalt which is silica poor. As a result, the magma is much less viscous than the magma of an explosive volcano, and the magma chamber is drained by large lava flows rather than by explosive events.
The picture shows the magma chamber rising up to the serfice and erupting. This results in the roof collapsing providing us with a circular caldera.
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Iceland is home to beautiful lava fields, waterfalls, caves, calderas and basalt cliffs. Calderas are formed when the surface of the earth that is volcanic active is injected with magma. This causes earths surface to be pushed up. As the magma leaves the magma chamber there is nothing left to hold up the overlying rock which results in it collapsing to where the chamber used to be in a circular shape called a caldera. There are different types of calderas. There is explosive calderas which are common to volcanoes with very viscous lava and high amounts of gas under pressure. The viscosity, or stickiness, of the lava relates to the silica content. Magma high in silica is more viscous than lava low in silica
Non Explosive calderas are dramatically less destructive. The magma feeding these volcanoes is basalt which is silica poor. As a result, the magma is much less viscous than the magma of an explosive volcano, and the magma chamber is drained by large lava flows rather than by explosive events.
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| Magnificent look at a Iceland caldera The basalt flows in Iceland are numerous however can be seen in different forms. We will discuss A'a, pahoehoe, and pillow lava flows. A'a is characterized by a rough, jagged, spinose, and generally clinkery surface. Aa lava flows tend to be relatively thick compared to pahoehoe flows.If lava cools slowly and does not move too fast it forms smooth ropy lava called pahoehoe.
However, if it cools quickly and moves fast it can tear into clinkery pieces called a'a.
 Pahoehoe Lava happens when smooth lava surface cools to turns to a dark gray color and becomes less fluid and more viscous, behaving more like a plastic substance than a truly liquid substance. As lava continues to flow underneath this plastic skin, the surface can bunch up or wrinkle into a form that resembles coiled rope.
Pillow lavas are the most abundant type because they are erupted at mid-ocean ridges. Pillow lavas have elongate, interconnected flow lobes that are circular in cross-section.
Sources
www.geology.sdsu.edu/how.../Calderas.html
http://facweb.bhc.edu/academics/science/harwoodr/Geog102/study/volcano2.htmhttp://www.decadevolcano.net/photos/keywords/basalt.htm http://www.geology.sdsu.edu/how_volcanoes_work/Basaltic_lava.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pillow_lava |
Monday, September 15, 2014
Grundarfjourdur, Iceland
There has been a common misconception about there being a "sunset." I actually believed that there was one as well before learning the truth in class. Most people believe that seasons are caused by how far away or close the part of the earth is from the sun. The belief is the sun is closer to North America during the summer months while the sun is further away from Southern America resulting in winter there. However, this is false. The earth revolves around the sun and the seasons are caused by the earths tilt.It varies incoming solar radiation (isolation) and that's determined by the solar elevation (sun angle) and length of day. Those both depend on the latitude and time of year. Consequently, in actuality the "sunset" and "sunrise" is just the position of the earth's tilt.
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| The sun disappearing behind the mountains of Grundarfjourdur, Iceland on a winter day. |
This small island is in between mountains and lava fields which create a very vivid picture to admire.
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| A view of the island. You can clearly see the mountain range on the right with lava rocks to the left. |
The different colors of the sky seem unrealistic since we aren't used to seeing our sky look that colorful and vivid on a daily basis. The sky's colors can tell us essential information about the atmosphere. The sun is bright point of light towards earth. The atoms of nitrogen and oxygen affect the sunlight that passes through them which results in scattering the wavelengths of light. The elements of our atmosphere cause an effect on what color is scattered the most for us to see.
\When the sky is clear and blue- You view the white light from the sun and the air during the day meeting with the air molecules in it's path causing us to see the blue sky is distributed across.
When the sky is red- The sun is near the horizon. The blue sky is absorbed and the red light is scattered.
When the sky is black this is due to there being no atmosphere in space which results in no scattered light to reach our eyes.
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| A look at the beautiful night sky over downtown Denver, CO. |
Saturday, August 30, 2014
Introduction Blog
My name is Atavia Vigil. I'm currently a junior majoring in business administration with a focus on human resources. I just recently moved back to Colorado from Texas this summer and am thrilled to be a student at UC Denver. After doing research and debating on a location to use for this assignment I chose to do Iceland. Iceland stood out to me because of it's beautiful vivid geography. I absolutely love the look of a location covered in snow and ice. I thought that Iceland was especially unique because it is situated between a mountain range and a lava field which is recipe for an unbelievably beautiful "sunset."
Photo of the sun "rising" over Grundarfjordur, Iceland
Source - http://list25.com/the-25-best-places-to-watch-the-sunset-around-the-world/
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