Having now journeyed across most of the country for the last 10 days, our adventure in Iceland was soon coming to an end. With but a few days left to travel across the south of the country, I thought that I had seen everything this volcanic island’s landscape had to offer. However, to my surprise, the south would provide a radically different environment then what I’d seen thus far. There, the unrelenting waves of the Atlantic constantly battered the shore, while moody, dark clouds kept the tall looming cliffs in a constant shade. In contrast to the desolate volcanic wastes of central Iceland, the south was a mystical place where valleys whisper and icebergs are born.
The gloomy, shadowy southern coast of Iceland
Southern Iceland
We drove from Laugarfell south to get back on the ring road. It was an overcast day. Quite typical of southern Iceland since the weather there is heavily influenced by the North Atlantic Ocean. The combination of the oceanic climate and proximity to the Arctic Circle means that weather can be highly unpredictable, with constant cloud cover, rain, and wind. Furthermore, the mountainous terrain exacerbates this, creating microclimates. It’s not a stretch to say it’s an entirely different land than the arid center, or the calmer north.
The clouds were there for good
After driving across green mountainous lands, in and out of tunnels, we arrived at the coast. The road followed the coastline and the visual was quite impressive. On the one side there was the vast North Atlantic Ocean, relentlessly battering the coastline. On the other side, towering cliffs loomed above us with their tops hidden by thick, low-hanging dark grey clouds.
A place I would have loved to explore more
As the road swerved around the base of the cliffs, I’d occasionally get a glimpse of thin waterfall, or a narrow valley hidden in the constant mist. On one occasion the fog lifted just enough to reveal an icy “limb” of the Vatnajökull glacier creeping down from one of those narrow valleys. The eerie sight reminded me of the “Paths of the Dead” valley from the Lord of the Rings.
Jökulsárlón
Every now and again there would be a small wooden house nestled in under the cliffs. I could just imagine the kind of tales and sagas one would be able to write while living in a fantastical environment such as this. It was around that time that I began considering potentially moving to Iceland for a time. perhaps as part of a PhD? I probably wouldn’t have wanted to live out my whole life there, but a solid few years could have been incredible.
Some of the more visible waterfalls along the way
Some time later, we arrived at Jökulsárlón glacier lagoon. A stunning glacial lagoon, Jökulsárlón is where large chunks of ice break off from the Vatnajökull glacier and float in serene waters before drifting out into the Atlantic Ocean. It is basically a place where icebergs are born.
Where icebergs are born and with them the worries of Atlantic seafarers
This tranquil, peaceful area is surrounded by dramatic landscapes like the nearby black sand beaches giving it an otherworldly feel. This unique landscape is of course a highly popular tourist attraction, where masses of people congregate for photos and boat tours offering a closer view of the ice formations.
Natural ice sculpture: The shark and the spear fisherman
Truly it was one the busiest places we’d experience in Iceland. Probably even busier than downtown Reykjavik.
Highway to Hella
After our brief stop at Jökulsárlón, we continued west towards Hella. Our destination for the day was Beindalsholt, a guesthouse located on a farm near the village of Hella. On the way we made another stop south of Öræfajökull to collect some tephra samples for another study Paul was involved with.
On the side of the road, two pieces of mangled steel that used to belong to the Skeiðarárbrú bridge. The bridge was severely damaged by flooding in 1996 after a volcanic eruption in Grímsvötn. The remains now served as a monument to the raw power of Iceland’s volcanic and glacial forces.
Skeiðarárbrú bridge monument
As we drove further away from Vatnajökull, the landscape opened up revealing more waterfalls, hills and distant mountains. On the way Paul pointed out one of Iceland’s largest lava flows as we passed it by, the Laki fissure eruption.
The lush landscape of southern Iceland
The Laki eruption began in 1783 and lasted for eight months. The eruption that created a volcanic fissure system stretching over 27 kilometers released large quantities of lava and toxic gases like sulfur dioxide causing an environmental catastrophe. Evidence suggesting that the quantity of ash and gasses released caused a cooling period in the northern hemisphere that contributed to the “Year Without a Summer” in 1816.
Hekla and the highlands
The next day was to be our last day in the field. We had two final targets to sample. Located further northeast, to reach them we drove back once more toward the all too familiar wastelands of central Iceland. On our way we passed by one of Iceland’s most famous active volcanos, Hekla.
Driving by Hekla on our way north
At 1491 m high, Hekla is part of a 40 km wide volcanic system linked to the underlying rift between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates. Notable for its frequent violent eruptions, Hekla is often referred to in Icelandic folklore as the Gateway to Hell.
One last trip into the Icelandic highlands
Contrary to Hekla, our target volcanoes, Saxi and Fontur were a lot less extravagant. In fact, they were relatively small phreatic craters composed of fine-grained unconsolidated crystal fragments. Once we reached Fontur, we realized we didn’t even need our geological hammers as we could simply scoop up a few fistfuls of loose crystals into our bags. Paul remarked that it was the most unorthodox sampling he had done so far.
Fresh olivine and plagioclase crystals, straight from Fontur
As we made our way back to the car, the weather turned bad. We took the opportunity to a have lunch and waited around in the car to see if we could ride out the rain. However it wasn’t going away and in the end we decided to pass on the hike to Saxi. After all, we had such a successful field campaign that we could afford missing out on one single sample.
The end to a great adventure
The day after, we drove back to Reykjavik. The sun came out to shine down on us one last time while on Icelandic soil. A few familiar sights greeted us on our way back. The moss-covered Laki lava fields followed us for the better part of the drive.
The friendly doggo at Beindalsholt greeting us in the morning
Later on, steam vents dotted the lush landscape as a constant reminder of the ongoing geothermal activity underneath. Finally the sights of increasing human activity dotted the rugged terrain as we approached the capital.
Moss covered lava flows that formed during the Laki eruption
Once in Reykjavik the urban landscape took over completely. The rugged terrain replaced by wood, concrete and steel structures. Cars coming and going, and everyday people living their normal lives. A stark contrast to the harsh land they inhabit, as well as a testament to humanities nature to survive and thrive in the some of the most unforgivable places on Earth.
Walking around in Reykjavik
As my time in Iceland had come to a close, I walked the streets of Reykjavik one last time reflecting on the incredible sights I had seen. It had been a truly remarkable journey, filled with laughs, adventures and good times. It had also been an amazing mentor-student bonding experience between Paul and myself.
It’s been quite the ride, both living and retelling the journey
I believe that the details in which I could retell this story today, over 8 years later, are a tribute to the many fond memories gained during my trip there to Iceland. Hence, I will forever be thankful to Paul Martin for the opportunity to go to Iceland as part of my Masters thesis project.
As I mentioned at the end of my previous post, Gran Canaria to me was a sort of eye opener to a different world. A world of constant warm climate, sunshine, beaches, palm trees and luxury tourist resorts. A sort of idealized island paradise world, where, at least in the moment, one doesn’t care about money anymore. That’s because presumably one already has enough money if they end up in a place like this.
Well I didn’t have money… But I felt like I did. This feeling is what I mean by I got a small taste of “the good life”. Something I’d never felt before. I relished the feeling and wanted more. My experience in Gran Canaria ignited an ambition for success that would shape some of the most momentous decisions later on in my life.
The landscape of Gran Canaria
But I’m getting ahead of myself now. Let me first tell you about our adventures on the island.
Road trips across a volcanic island
We spent most of our days in Gran Canaria on the road. Driving around and across the island to observe its magnificent geological features.
Like the rest of the Canary Islands, Gran Canaria is a volcanic island made up of various volcanic rocks ranging from basalts to rhyolites. This range of rock types from silica-poor to silica-rich represents the typical evolution of ocean island forming magmas.
A rocky wall showcasing two generations of ignimbrites delineated by a scorched contact margin
Another typical rock type in Gran Canaria are ignimbrites. Ignimbrites are basically hardened volcanic tuff formed as a result of pyroclastic flows. For those unaware, pyroclastic flows are those superheated “grey avalanches” of gas and volcanic particles moving down the slopes of an angry erupting volcano at very high speeds. They are probably the most dangerous features of a violent volcanic eruption. Their direction is very hard to predict, you can’t outrun them and they incinerate and carbonize everything in their path.
The master volcanologist and igneous petrologist himself in action, Paul Martin Holm.
In the end, all that violent rocky and gassy outburst, coupled with erosion leads to some really unique rock formations.
Fuente de los Azulejos
The name of this colorful geological formation literally translates to the fountain of tiles. Located in the municipality of Tejeda in the center of the island, los Azulejos are a result of hydrothermal activity and oxidation, coupled with erosional features.
The colorful rocks of Los Azulejos in Gran Canaria
The rocks at los Azulejos are primarily composed of basalts. The green and blue colors come from an abundance of copper minerals such as malachite and azurite. Water and erosion over time contributed to the distribution of these colors across a large area.
A close-up of Los Azulejos
Roque Nublo
Another geological feature and major tourist attraction in the municipality of Tejada is Roque Nublo. Translated to “Rock in Clouds” this 80 meter high rocky monolith towers over the surrounding landscape.
Hiking towards Roque Nublo we got a view of these clouds rolling over the jagged landscape
One of the most iconic landmarks of the island, Roque Nublo offers spectacular panoramic views of the rolling hills and valleys of the Gran Canaria. On top of that, you get a spectacular view of Tenerife island in the distance.
The neighboring Tenerife island popping up in the distance above the clouds
Initially a landscape made up of various lava flows, ash and pumice, was shaped over millions of years by wind and water. In time, erosional forces have erased all but the most resilient of rocks which today make up the core of Roque Nublo.
The towering Roque Nublo
Dragon Tail cliffs at Mirador del Balcón
Located on the western coast of Gran Canaria, the Dragon Tail Cliffs at Mirador del Balcón are geological formation renowned for their dramatic appearance and panoramic views. The epic name was derived from the jagged, serrated edges of the cliffs, which resemble the tail of a dragon in silhouette against the sky.
The Dragon Tail Cliffs at Mirador del Balcón
The cliffs at Mirador del Balcón are composed of basaltic lava flows, which in time have been carved and sculpted by winds and waves. The dramatic shapes of these cliffs are a result of the high durability and resistance to erosion of basaltic rocks.
Bandama Caldera
Measuring approximately 1000 meters in diameter and 200 meters deep, the Bandama Caldera is one of the Canary Islands largest volcanic craters. Located near the town of Santa Brígida, the caldera offers yet more stunning views and geological features.
It was impossible to capture the sheer size of Bandama Caldera in one photo
The Bandama Caldera is the result of a massive volcanic eruption that occurred thousands of years ago. The subsequent collapse and erosion of the caldera left a large depression in the landscape.
On the road from the Bandama Caldera towards the coast you can find some of best examples of pillow basalts. These structures form during underwater lava eruptions, as a result of rapid cooling.
The perfect pillow basalt
Mapping ignimbrites
On one of the days we split into multiple teams and did a field study of different rock formations. My hotel roommates and I were assigned to map ignimbrites. As such, Nigel, Søren, Michael and I spent one day in the scorching sun noting down the features of this huge wall of rock along a sloped road.
Søren discovering a perfectly preserved volcanic bomb between the ignimbrite layers
Below us, in the valley, there was a raging pool party at one of the resorts. Not having an ounce of shade the whole day, we became quite disgruntled with and jealous of the people below. They were also playing that damned “Tunak Tunak” song on loop the whole day… To this day I can’t stand listening to that song because of this!
Hearing the Tunak Tunak song for the millionth time
Despite our complaints, we still had a great time doing fun geology things while sometimes stopping to admire the views of that incredible place. Later on we would compile a report of our findings, which would contribute towards the final grade of the course.
The tempting view while working in the hot sun all day
Leisurely evenings
After our daily road trips, sight seeing and geology work, we would spend our late afternoons and evenings doing various activities. Be it a dip in the pool, a walk across town, or a night of drinking on the terrace, there was always something to do.
Finishing up a long days work on the rocks
One of my favorite nights was poker night with my roommates. Søren had brought a poker set with him, so the four of us sat down for a very serious game of Texas Hold’Em. The stakes were high as we were playing for drinks. Losers buy the winners one and two beers respectively. After a crafty combination of luck, aggression and bluffing, I had managed to secure my second place and one free beer. However, my luck was up as the most inexperienced of us actually managed to win the big pot! Regardless, I was quite pleased with my results.
During the last evening, Paul Martin took us all out for a game of mini golf. This was after we had a few drinks. Among them a couple of shots of true Absinth. The 89.9% alcohol drink that gives you brain damage. To my surprise it tasted better than some other dreadful things I drank in my life – hint hint, Swedish bitter and Stroh rum… Ugh…
Tasty liquid death
On top of all this we had an incredible varied buffet dinner each night. I will never forget the seafood themed one. Just the variety and the taste of it all was so good! Suffice to say the nights were a blast.
Final thoughts on our trip
As a holiday trip and adventure, Gran Canaria is up there on my list with some of my most memorable trips. However, as part of a university field course? Hands down the best course I’ve ever taken!
Field courses are always more fun than just sitting in the class, or lab all day. I’ve done quite a few back in Romania during my Bachelors days. But of course the level of financing and opportunity between my Romanian and Danish Universities was incomparable.
Our geologist version of ‘The shining”
I mentioned how my trip to Gran Canaria turned on an ambition switch in my head that would pave the way for future decisions and successes. However, there was another thing I gained from my field trip there. An immense gratitude and respect towards my professor, Paul Martin, the University of Copenhagen and Denmark in general. So much so that when we flew back to Denmark I decided that I would sign up for the state offered Danish language classes and I would try to make Denmark my permanent home.
