Likewise, volcanoes erupting under glaciers can lead to rapid flooding and cause significant property damage. Gasses and chemical elements released by eruptions can poison crops and livestock. But while volcanoes rarely threaten human life anymore, violent eruptions still cause significant property damage. ![]() And sophisticated means of prediction mean that the government can provide advance notice of impending eruptions. However, most people in Iceland live away from active volcanoes. Not only do volcanoes spout burning hot lava, but they also regularly emit dust, gasses, rocks, and other chemicals. Risks of Natural DisastersĪs one of the most volcanically active zones on the planet, Iceland poses significant threats to the life and property of its citizens. But it also offers unique opportunities and resources that their economy benefits from. Iceland’s unique geology creates specific risks that Icelanders have learned to live with. Social and Economic Consequences of Iceland’s Unique Geology But they also have consequences for the people who live in Iceland. Such unique geographical features make the country a hotspot for scientists and academics looking to study the earth’s geology. The entire island is geologically young – only between 16 and 33 million years old. Īt Thingvellir, the geological actions of 10,000 years are manifest in a rift valley that has widened by 230 ft (70 m) and sunk 131 ft (40 m), producing spectacular cliffs and an enormous lake. In places like the Reykjanes Peninsula, observers can see where one continent gives way to another in a manner that is hard to witness anywhere else on the planet. The effects of this dramatic activity are readily observable on the island. After the two continents had drifted apart for millennia, magma from the earth’s core rushed up through volcanoes, cooled, and formed the island. Iceland itself is a result of volcanic activity produced by tectonic forces. The island has over a hundred volcanoes, with more than thirty currently active. The drifting apart of the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates makes Iceland one of the most geologically active terrains in the world. The Effects of Plate Tectonics on Iceland’s Geology A third, less geologically influential micro-plate – the Hreppafleki plate – also runs through the island nation. ![]() While swift on a geological timescale, their movement is relatively slow by human standards – only about 0.12 inches (3 mm) a year.īecause the ridge runs through the center of Iceland, technically speaking, Iceland spans two continents – even though most people consider it part of Europe. It is considered a divergent plate boundary because the two plates it separates are moving apart – the North American plate westward and the Eurasian plate eastward. However, most of it lies deep underwater at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean, and there are only a few places where it is visible on land, one of which is Iceland. Running from 54°S to 87°N, it is one of the longest geological features on the planet. The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mountain range that marks the boundary between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. ![]() This article will outline some of the fundamental aspects of plate tectonics in Icelandic geography and explain their consequences on the life of Icelanders. The plate boundary is divergent because the two plates it separates are moving away from each other at an annual rate of about 0.12 inches (3 mm). Yet, at the same time, unique plate tectonics cause it to account for a third of all lava flows on earth.Ī divergent plate boundary known as the Mid-Atlantic Ridge runs across Iceland, separating the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. Not for nothing is Iceland known as the ‘Land of Fire and Ice.’ Its proximity to the Arctic Circle means over a tenth of its landscape is glacial.
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