Current Crustal Movts field trip
Last weekend, mom and the kids enjoyed Reykjavik while I was out in the field. They visited the Reykjavik Art Museum, Saga Museum, cycled, walked, visited our fav coffeehouse, played cards, etc. - thanks to mom for all the fun we've had together, the many laughs (we think there may be laughing gas in the pure Icelandic water cuz we laughed so much :-) especially the children loved it, too!!!
I spent three days last Fri, Sat & part of Sun. doing field trips just east of Reykjavik - what a unique opportunity to learn from active nature. Friday, our Geochemical Analysis class went to , Flúðir, a quiet community in the Southern Lowlands surrounded in steaming hot pools and pumps of geothermal water. My group was mostly students from Germany & Lithuania; we collected & analyzed both the geothermal water & river water for pH, temp, O2, CO2, H2S via titration methods, etc w more to do in labs later. The geothermal water we sampled had a pH of 9.2!! Almost completely alkaline and 100.7 degrees C, it was sooo hot. Basically, we're learning how to chemically analyze the hot springs, etc and how to know where to drill for geothermal fluids/energy, that's a decision not to make a mistake worth millions to drill lol. Two people I worked with are from Africa, working with the United Nations and learning geochemical/thermal methods - they are real interesting.
The 2nd field trip was our Current Crustal Movements class (the only one of its kind taught anywhere in the world because Iceland is so current!) to the microplate between the North American and Eurasian plate that are diverging/separating. A few wks ago, there was a 4.5 magnitude earthquake along a fissure which we visited. Our professor, Páll Einarsson, taught while we hiked along lava flows, uplifts, faults & fissures, with Mt. Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull volcanoes & glaciers in the near distance. This next wknd, we return to do GPS measurements, an active research project where we hope to find out new information about the microplate and post-earthquake stuff. Tomorrow afternoon, in a new Soils & Vegetation of Iceland class, there is a field trip for several hours - yah, soil sounds simple but no, it's not simple yet precious ancient material so am off to do more hiking around Iceland. Not complaining about that! :-) Lex may join me, hope so!
I spent three days last Fri, Sat & part of Sun. doing field trips just east of Reykjavik - what a unique opportunity to learn from active nature. Friday, our Geochemical Analysis class went to , Flúðir, a quiet community in the Southern Lowlands surrounded in steaming hot pools and pumps of geothermal water. My group was mostly students from Germany & Lithuania; we collected & analyzed both the geothermal water & river water for pH, temp, O2, CO2, H2S via titration methods, etc w more to do in labs later. The geothermal water we sampled had a pH of 9.2!! Almost completely alkaline and 100.7 degrees C, it was sooo hot. Basically, we're learning how to chemically analyze the hot springs, etc and how to know where to drill for geothermal fluids/energy, that's a decision not to make a mistake worth millions to drill lol. Two people I worked with are from Africa, working with the United Nations and learning geochemical/thermal methods - they are real interesting.
The 2nd field trip was our Current Crustal Movements class (the only one of its kind taught anywhere in the world because Iceland is so current!) to the microplate between the North American and Eurasian plate that are diverging/separating. A few wks ago, there was a 4.5 magnitude earthquake along a fissure which we visited. Our professor, Páll Einarsson, taught while we hiked along lava flows, uplifts, faults & fissures, with Mt. Hekla and Eyjafjallajökull volcanoes & glaciers in the near distance. This next wknd, we return to do GPS measurements, an active research project where we hope to find out new information about the microplate and post-earthquake stuff. Tomorrow afternoon, in a new Soils & Vegetation of Iceland class, there is a field trip for several hours - yah, soil sounds simple but no, it's not simple yet precious ancient material so am off to do more hiking around Iceland. Not complaining about that! :-) Lex may join me, hope so!