Continental Drift

continental-drift
11May

Continental Drift

By Iceland 0 Comments
Have you ever stood between two continents? and hopped across at will? Well, in Iceland, you can!In keeping with its paradoxical nature, Iceland is divided by the Mid-Atlantic Rift. Some parts of it, such as the Westfjords and Reyjavík, are on the North American tectonic plate, while others, such as Vatnajökull glacier and the East Fjords, are on the Eurasian plate. In Pingvellir National Park as you go on an exploratory tour of the Golden Circle, you will come across a place where this rift is above sea-level, and nowhere can you see the edges of both plates as clearly as in here!  Of course you can see it in the North as well, but there it is far narrower…As you enter the park from Reykjavík, you descend a steep cliff into a valley. Looking upon the face of this cliff is to literally look at the edge of North America. If you drive through the park, you will ascend on the other side adjacent to another wall; this is Eurasia. The valley in between, in which Þingvellir is contained, is the rift valley.The Continental Rift is an awe inspiring moment as you stand with your feet planted in the black volcanic soil covered with the pristine snow. The contrast of  black and white will remind you of the myriad contrasts of life! Connecting the rift is a bridge, that is extended each year as the rift grows apart!The tectonic plates move apart at approximately 2.5 centimeters a year and have done for millennia. The effects of this movement are very clear within the park. Lava fields fill the valley, from magma that welled up as the continents spread, and the whole area is littered with ravines, ripped open by centuries of earthquakes.It’s a humbling moment to stand there and experience a piece of history in the making – Visit Iceland to sense the unimaginable! Some abstract concepts taught in a geography class eons ago flashes before the mind and one is reminded of how small we are in front of the vagaries of nature!

Interested in travel to Iceland? Check out some of our Iceland itineraries here.

Read about the other interesting aspects of travel to Iceland here.

For ideas on experiential travel to Europe, Asia and Africa, visit Beyonder Travel.

 

Author

Anand Parameswaran, Founder-CEO, Beyonder Experiences, is a firm believer in "the theater of the mind" being the best fodder for a hyperactive-imagination to revel in. In other words, he is a sucker for stories. He actively seeks them out in unique cultures, history, social mores, legends, myths, and cuisines, through travel in unfamiliar lands... He loves and prefers solo trips through unfamiliar lands!

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