The Great Divide
with thanks to Dive.is for the photo
Iceland's National treasure
It seems so unreal to stand on a rocky, fractured cliff edge and discover that the view ahead is of the boundary between two massive tectonic plates. Many is the time that visitors to this place, intrigued by my arm waving and use of food related analogies, have joined my own huddle of fellow travellers to listen to my attempt to explain the ‘what, why, when and how’ of this unique area that is the Mid- Atlantic Ridge.
We are at the heart of Iceland’s National Treasure: the Golden Circle. It's the day tour that everyone does. Usually a "must see" in a first visit to Iceland, yet it's a tour where the sole attraction is nature (with some variations) in the form of rock, a lake, a waterfall and a geyser. Unsurprisingly, it can be quite baffling if the joys of landscapes weren't quite what you'd anticipated. But it is magical, and even the most unsuitably dressed and least well prepared of visitors returns to Reykjavik with a sense of 'wow'!
Where it not for this 'place of plates', Iceland, and indeed the globe would look entirely different. Iceland itself is the product (some 20 million years ago) of the creation of a new land mass that came about as the continents of North America and Europe were separated. The continents are represented by vast tectonic plates, the boundary or margins of which cross Iceland roughly diagonally from south-west to north-east and which are dramatically visible at Thingvellir.
It is here that the western North American plate forms a huge craggy cliff face overlooking the gentler sloping eastern Eurasian plate, and in between the sunken no-mans-land 'rift' area which is largely occupied by a stunningly beautiful fresh-water lake. Filled by glacial water, filtered through porous lava on its slow journey from the northern ice fields, the waters of lake Thingvellir are so clear that divers can see 100 metres ahead, and many do. Snorkelling and diving at Silfra is just one of the ways to experience the unique geology of this great country.
View across the plate boundary and lake Thingvellir
Moving earth
Tour guides will tell you that Iceland's plate movements are such that Iceland is growing between 2 and 10 cm wider each year. It's true that this spreading ridge (or constructive margin) does mean that the distance across the Atlantic Ocean is increasing. Astute geography students have often asked me if that means that something, somewhere is getting smaller? The answer is yes, but that's not for now!
The important part about plate movement here is that seismically, it makes Iceland very active. Every day there are numerous tiny tremors which are good because tensions are released rather than building up to produce a big quake. Historically, Iceland's earthquakes are not very damaging, because, on the whole, built up areas are few and are also located away from known active areas.
In 2008 the small town of Hveragerdi was shaken by a quake that damaged many of the houses so that doors and windows wouldn’t close and floorboards and rooves were twisted. Goods fell off supermarket shelves and kitchen cupboards emptied themselves, However, although there was upheaval in Hveragerdi, nobody died, and injuries were very minor. Many of you will have visited the library in the shopping mall there to see the little exhibition and the "new" hot springs that came with the quake.
So, what does a quake feel like? Over the years I have occasionally experienced a small tremor, but most people will not even be aware of what's going on beneath their feet or what woke them up! Like the British and the weather, Icelanders monitor seismicity not only ALL the time but also in great detail. If there is increased activity anywhere it is picked up straight away, followed, modelled and the news updated. Iceland is a very safe country and incredibly well prepared for all that nature throws at it.
New hotsprings like these appeared after the 2008 quake
See more
You can’t leave this area of the great divide without knowing something of how it fits into the whole Golden Circle experience. Every day, tours of many kinds set off from Reykjavik to share in the delights of Iceland’s top three sights: the Lake and ‘great divide’ at Thingvellir, the vast and magical Gulfoss (or golden) waterfall and the geyser, Strokkur. This is without doubt an area of Iceland every visitor should see. Firstly, because it’s the very essence of Iceland and secondly because there is so much more beyond the big three to enjoy.
Even though this is a very visited part of the country, it’s not difficult to have the place to yourself and to discover beautiful views, incredible geology, and wonderful lava formations by car, on foot or horseback. Find evidence of the history of settlement and the early culture of the Icelanders or experience the best of geothermal technology by dining in a greenhouse or lying, surrounded by the mossy lava landscape, submerged in wonderful flowing hot water.
I have lost count of the number of days I have spent visiting, revisiting and staying in the ‘Golden Circle’ area. It is always different, within and between seasons, at night or day, and the vast number of images that I have illustrate this. If you are a fellow adventurer who has been there, I do hope that you will reflect on some magical moments of your own… and certainly share your adventure with friends!
Iconic Gulfoss, but not crowded, even in the summer!
The outer edges
One of the things that is mostly true about Iceland is that as it's growing from the middle, with the oldest areas are out on the edge. Of course, that's not strictly accurate but there are some staggeringly beautiful and contrasting features to be found in the East (fjords) and west coast of Iceland.
If the idea of this resonates for you, then I can sum up the Iceland’s coastal fjords simply as a slow travel road trip not to miss! I drove the Eastfjords route early one May for snow, snowmelt, reindeer herds, fantastic seaweed, a special coastal fog and plenty of puffins. Go anytime for street signs in French, huge stone eggs and a fantastic rock collection.
Over in west Iceland, a couple of days spent heading north from Reykjavik on, and then off, route 1 takes you to the Snaefellsness peninsula. This is a place of secrets and it's surprisingly unvisited. Magical mountains, eerie craters, dramatic cliffs, black churches, waterfalls, seals, whales, birds and SPACE! I've been here many times, but my most recent stay, with a lifelong ambition achieved has left me wanting more. Galloping along a wild beach with the north Atlantic on one side and the Snaefellsjokull glacier on the other, was an experience to truly cherish….but there are so many more that don't require a journey on horseback. To the north, Stykkisholmur, on the shores of beautiful Breidafjordur Bay, is one of my favourite towns... and home to the quirky museum of water, the volcano museum, fabulous regional food and the ferry Baldur, beckoning you across to the even more alluring Westfjords.
