The Land of Fire and Ice: a Geographer's Dream
Travelling the rugged landscape, you get the feeling of being on a different planet. With terrain that wouldn’t look out of place in a space movie, you know that below the surface this country is alive and ever-changing.
Iceland offers so much to budding explorers who want to expand on their classroom learning when in the field. It holds great examples of:
Tectonic landscapes
Volcanic activity
Climate change
The effects of earthquakes
One of the pivotal stops for a study tour for Iceland must be the Southern Coast. Here you’ll see great basalt rock formations jutting out onto the black sand beaches created from volcanic eruptions through the ages. See the majestic glaciers with their layers of history and the impact of climate change slowly making them disappear. Take a look at the waterfalls that plunge over the edges of volcanic mountains.
Additionally, The Golden Circle is not to missed! Explore the National Park of Thingvellir. Where you can see the impact of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pulling away from each other and creating great cliff edges. The scenery is breathtaking! Check the phenomenon that is Geysir and the natural hot waters that explode from the earth. One of many areas in Iceland where steam will emerge from the landscape as it heats up below the surface and races to find a way out.
The Golden Circle also holds a mammoth waterfall with rapids and drops that is a great example of the power of nature. Here you can delve into how Iceland uses its natural energy sources with a tour of the Geothermal Exhibition and Powerplant. Providing a fascinating insight into the storing of carbon and how the plant functions.
There are so many interactive, insightful, and educational locations on this island, that you will be spoilt for choice. Just one of the highlights was visiting Vik and the Lava Show. A great example of how lava erupts is how it interacts with the environment around it and feels the heat from this demonstration. One to remember for sure!
From Geothermal Powerplants to black sand beaches to a live demonstration of how lava works, Iceland does cover it all. And with so many different choices you can select the correct elements to ensure your students receive the best opportunity to learn outside the classroom.
Iceland is so different from other places I’ve travelled too previously. It’s barren but beautiful, it’s peaceful yet alive. As a living, breathing model for studies for GCSE and A-level geography, I would highly recommend you check it out!
