afternoon of exploration on day 3 in iceland

In a fantastic afternoon and early evening to round off their trip, our Geography students have had the opportunity to take in and learn more about the natural wonder, geology and history of the following, starting with, and imaged, in our lead photograph and below:

Gullfoss

One of Iceland’s most photographed waterfalls, its two stages can be viewed from two platforms, and our students made the most of this opportunity in wonderful meteorological conditions, as you can see:

Geysir

Students visited the site of Geysir, a spouting hot spring that gave its name to all the world’s geysers. Although it doesn’t often spout nowadays, its neighbour ‘Strokkur’ erupts every 10-15 minutes, reaching a height of around 30m.

And here it is, captured in its glory, and performing on cue for our geographers!

Þingvellir (Thingvellir)

This National Park is where Iceland’s Parliament was established in 930AD. The site straddles the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, its rift valley forming where the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates pull apart at an average of 3cm a year.

Students were able to walk among the rifts and see ropy pahoehoe lava from a shield volcano eruption, as they learnt all about the events that shaped Iceland’s early history. 

All in all, a perfect end to an edifying, enjoyable, and truly enriching trip for our UGS geographers.

We wish all on the trip a safe journey back, with huge thanks to the staff team for organising, accompanying and supporting our students, and for sharing the updates for us to enjoy.