On Monday 10th February a group of KS4 Geographers set off from Manchester airport to discover the delights that the volcanic island of Iceland had to offer. On arrival in Iceland, our first stop was the Blue Lagoon. This geothermal spa allowed us all to relax in beautiful turquoise waters of 37°C whilst darkness drew in. The students explored the concept of geothermal power and discovered the various minerals from within the volcanic rock that are said to have anti-ageing properties!!
The itinerary for our first full day took us east to discover the delights of the Thingvellir National Park. The students witnessed the tectonic boundary between the Eurasian and North American Plates and observed a significant fissure that has recently opened up due to new tectonic activity.
From Thingvellir we travelled to the famous thermal area around the Geysir Centre. The students waited in anticipation for the Strokkur Geyser to erupt, shooting boiling water 15 meters into the sky. We also witnessed steam vents, boiling springs and beautiful turquoise blue pools. Finally that day, we travelled to Gulfoss, Iceland’s most famous waterfall. This enormous white glacial cascade drops 32 meters into a narrow canyon which is 70 meters deep and 2.5 kilometers long. After a lovely evening meal we walked into the center of Reykjavik where the students experienced the cosmopolitan feel of this Icelandic capital city and our dreams came true as we watched the northern lights display their beauty on our walk back to the hotel.
On Wednesday morning we were up and out early, ready to explore the wonders of the south coast. We spent the morning climbing up and behind 2 of Iceland’s most amazing waterfalls, Skogafoss and Seljalandsfoss. The afternoon took us to the snout of the Solheimajokull glacier, part of the Myrdalsjokull ice cap. The students witnessed the black moraines deposited by this retreating glacier and learnt about the trouble that the area had after the recent volcanic eruption and the resulting ash cloud.
Our final day took us north west of Reykjavik to witness a huge fjord and geothermal hot spring area. We also managed to see a waterfall area that spanned for 1Km of amazing turquoise blue meltwater from glaciers further upstream.
I speak on behalf of the staff who attended when I say that the students were the best group we have ever had the pleasure of taking away and we were constantly complimented on the behaviour and manner of our students.
Thank you for a delightful break in a magical country.
Mrs C Robertson
Subject Leader for Geography.
