Seljalandsfoss (Part 1) – Friday 3rd September

Our last stop was Seljalandsfoss, a 50 metre high waterfall with a 30 metre deep plunge pool. We got the opportunity to walk behind the waterfall, in the undercut of the rocks that the erosion had formed. Walking behind the waterfall was a really exciting experience and everyone felt really good to be able to say they had completed the walk! The water was beating down into the plunge pool and the water was spraying at us just like fine rain. When we were right behind the waterfall we stopped for a quick group photo and then continued around the path to get back onto the bus in our soaking gear, yet smiling faces!

Hannah (Year 9)

Skogafoss – Friday 3rd September

We arrived at Skogafoss at around midday and even from the bus it was an amazing sight! Skogafoss is 62 metres high and 26 metres wide. We walked along a shingle bank right up to the waterfall and it looked huge! The spray was so intense it was like being in a car wash! We were completely soaked in seconds and our waterproofs weren’t much help! It was an amazing experience to be so close to what was the largest waterfall that many of us had ever seen. Back on the coach, it was a five minute journey to the café, where we dried out and had some warm food and drink. ‘All you can’ eat soup and hot chocolate for many of us!

Jack and Rob (Year 9)

Reynisfjara Beach – Friday 3rd September

We continued travelling east to Reynisfjara beach. The weather conditions were not perfect as it was extremely windy and wet. When we got there we put our full waterproofs on and walked down to the beach in the rain. The beach was covered in black lava sand and stones due to the rocks falling off the steep mountain sides. This beach is ranked in the top 10 beaches in the world due to the coastal landforms (stacks and arches) at either end of the black crescent and the glaciers and ice caps behind. However, due to the weather it not a brilliant view which was unfortunate. But the wind meant the waves were truly amazing and occasionally exceeded approximately 25 feet in height! The waves were so powerful that they were dramatically eating away the beach. We could see the beach being flattened and eroded before our eyes. On the shore there were basalt lava columns that we had hoped to climb but the rain and waves meant it was not safe today. If we cut the columns in half, we would see hexagonal shapes. After getting soaked and blown about, we quickly hurried back to the coach where thankfully it was warm and dry.

David and Toby (Year 9)

Jokulhlaup Damage – Thursday 2nd September

After a hearty meal at Restaurant Freynes, complete with fantastic glacial views, we headed back east to our Hostel. We stopped however to view some twisted steel segments of the old bridges that cross the sandur (glacial outwash plain) that lies between the glaciers and the coast. In 1996, an eruption underneath the Vatnajokull icecap caused a jokulhlaup, which is a large flood that occurs when melted ice is released by the ice cap being ‘floated’ by the meltwater. This jokulhlaup released 3000 billion cubic litres of water in a few hours, peaking at 50,000m3/s, and carried icebergs and rocks the size of 3 storey buildings! The bridges were bent like match sticks and the new road bridges now have steel which is almost twice as thick (10 inches) as before to try and reduce the impact of any future eruptions!

CP

The Laki eruption and Eldhraun Lava Flow - Friday 3rd September

We pulled in at the side of the road to visit the Lava Flow created by the Laki Eruption in 1783. The Lava Flow is 500 square miles in area, which is the largest Lava Flow from a single eruption. Straight away Mr. Pittam found his rock and tried to pronounce the word “a’a”!

Next we started to explore the Lava Flow, we found that it was covered in moss (which was very springy). The moss and soil were formed by the process known as “succession”. This is after the Lava has solidified and layers of vegetation have grown over the top. The Lava travelled 50km before it solidified.

We noticed the Lava Flow was much bigger than first anticipated, and it formed small mounds. We enjoyed walking over the Lava Flow as the moss was so springy underfoot.

Zak and Liam (Year 9)

Skaftafell National Park - Thursday 2nd September

After the lovely Jokulsarlon Lagoon, we drove to the Skaftafell National Park. We were greeted by a charming guide whose name we couldn’t pronounce, so we decided to call him “Will”. Will showed us a very accurate model of the Park, showing features such as braided channels on the glacial outwash plain. He pointed out that the tallest mountain in Iceland was actually a volcano and the icecap was a remarkable million years old.

Next, we took a short(ish) walk down to the Glacier, stopping several times to show us the erosion on the mountain. When we arrived near to the glacier, he gave us a picture of the same spot, taken in 1994, it was amazing how much of the glacier had retreated in the past 16 years. Despite how much it had shrunk, the sheer vastness of the ice was mind-blowing; reaching hundreds of metres wide.

There are many of these great glacial valleys across Iceland, as the country is in fact 11 per cent ice. In front of the glacier were lagoons, formed by melted ice.

Callum and Lucy (Year 9)

[Editorial Note: the bottom right photo contains our group, still some hundred metres from the glacial snout (where the bottom left photo was taken), for scale; they are along the "line" between the gravel and the ice]

Jokulsarlon - Thursday 2nd September (Part Two)

The first stop of the day after a tiring six hour coach journey was at the Jokulsarlon pro-glacial lagoon. Stepping from the coach we were greeted with a burst of cold air and magnificent views of the beautiful icebergs floating in the shimmering blue lagoon. The icebergs varied in all sizes and colours from clear blue, to a dirty black. This glacial lagoon had previously been used as a film set for the James Bond movie “Die another Day” where they froze the water over for a thrilling car chase.

Whilst walking along the shore we found some ice-blocks that had been washed on to the rocks. We were amazed by the patterns that the air bubbles created in the ice. George found himself a small iceberg, which he was very proud of. We also followed in Mr. Pittam’s footsteps and found ourselves becoming avid rock collectors, searching intently to find pieces of volcanic rock. We were looking for black rocks with air bubbles in, which would have happened when the lava solidified. They are black due to traces of the mineral Basalt.

We also saw the effects of global warming in action as we witnessed one of the icebergs snapping in half and crashing into the water. Jokulsarlon is home to some fascinating wildlife, such as seals, and various species of bird, including Eider Ducks, the Great Skua and the Red-Throated Diver.

Before leaving we took a walk down to a very unusual beach, that had black sand and Icebergs in the sea! It was strangely beautiful and the whole experience was radical!

By Sophie, Beth and Hannah.