Thingvellir

Þingvellir

Location: 64°15′29″N 21°07′30″W
Time of Visit: May 24&25, 2007

This incredible valley is located directly upon the mid-Atlantic ridge. It is what geologists refer to as a rift valley, where the European and American plates diverge from one another. Basically, the Earth is splitting apart along a series of faults. Dramatic evidence of this can be seen in the rifts that run along the valley North/South along with the fan-like patterns of solidified lava. It was somewhat eerie to think about sleeping on ground that was splitting apart underneath…

Lava Stones

Culturally, this area is important as the country’s first national park and location of the country’s first parliament. I also encountered signage explaining that executions by public drowning were conducted in the Oxara River. Upstream, this river flows over a fairly dramatic fault creating the waterfall Oxarafoss, pictured below. I made photographs on this side of the valley well past midnight, in the 24-hour daylight.

After the aforementioned “night’s sleep”, and a wonderful cup of French press coffee, I explored the banks of the lake Þingvallavatn. I met a ranger who pointed out some of the local plants, birds, and indicated where I might find one of the springs along the bank of the lake. She said the way to recognize it is to look where the water’s surface has a different textural quality due to the up welling. It was a windy day, so the surface of the lake was rather choppy. I looked and looked and was about to give up, when I saw what she meant…the water was ballooning up slightly and just enough to smooth out the wavelets from underneath. The pressure must have been fairly strong.

Onward, I drive up the ridge on the far side of the valley and was able to make some good photographs looking back over the whole valley.

		Þingvellir Location: 64°15′29″N 21°07′30″W Time of Visit: May 24&25, 2007 This incredible valley is located directly upon the mid-Atlantic ridge. It is what geologists refer to as a rift valley, where the European and American plates diverge from one another. Basically, the Earth is splitting apart along a series of faults. Dramatic evidence of this can be seen in the rifts that run along the valley North/South along with the fan-like patterns of solidified lava. It was somewhat eerie to think about sleeping on ground that was splitting apart underneath… Lava Stones Culturally, this area is important as the country’s first national park and location of the country’s first parliament. I also encountered signage explaining that executions by public drowning were conducted in the Oxara River. Upstream, this river flows over a fairly dramatic fault creating the waterfall Oxarafoss, pictured below. I made photographs on this side of the valley well past midnight, in the 24-hour daylight. After the aforementioned “night’s sleep”, and a wonderful cup of French press coffee, I explored the banks of the lake Þingvallavatn. I met a ranger who pointed out some of the local plants, birds, and indicated where I might find one of the springs along the bank of the lake. She said the way to recognize it is to look where the water’s surface has a different textural quality due to the up welling. It was a windy day, so the surface of the lake was rather choppy. I looked and looked and was about to give up, when I saw what she meant…the water was ballooning up slightly and just enough to smooth out the wavelets from underneath. The pressure must have been fairly strong. Onward, I drive up the ridge on the far side of the valley and was able to make some good photographs looking back over the whole valley.