Christopher’s Chronicles

Before visiting the land of fire and ice, I spent time researching and reading about some of the must see wonders. Brimketill was one of the top items on my “to see” bucket list.

Who wouldn’t want to check out “Surfers Cauldrin” ?

Little did I know that I was in for a blistery surprise.

As the waves slammed along the volcanic coast, the winds were beyond what I have ever experienced. The naturally formed cauldrin would fill with water, with the waves breaking over its rim spraying ice cold water and crimson red algae chunks. It was indeed a majestic site but it is not a place to explore carelessly and without preparation. It can be quite dangerous -even on the viewing platform.

I would never imagine daring to swim in such as I was told that some do in the summertime.

You definitely do not want to miss seeing the dramatic natural show but be thoughtful of the season also. The wind can knock you off of your feet and the ocean along the peninsula is relentless. Be safe and dress accordingly for the unpredictable climate. The weather can change in an instant.

I was fascinated by the red algae. It’s stark bright contrast against the jagged volcanic rock was unlike anything I have ever seen along coastal regions. Seeing the red algae flying through the air as the rough waves crashed into the cauldron was bizarre and pretty cool. I learned that red algae is almost always found in our oceans and it is commonly found below kelp forests because it can survive with less light than other types of algae. Long ago, it was a common food source for the locals. Just recently, an unknown species of red algae was discovered there.

Brimketill

Before visiting the land of fire and ice, I spent time researching and reading about some of the must see wonders. Brimketill was one of the top items on my “to see” bucket list.

Who wouldn’t want to check out “Surfers Cauldrin” ?

Little did I know that I was in for a blistery surprise.

Most of the time, when people think about geology and hot things on earth, they strictly think about volcanoes, lava and things of that nature that are often highlighted whenever there is an eruption somewhere.

Few think about the microscopic world that calls these almost inhospitable conditions home.

Life is truly resilient and I can’t think of one place on our planet that life in some form does not exist.

Extremophiles are hardy organisms that thrive in extreme environments. Typically, these environments are so extreme, humans and other organizations cannot survive in them. These organisms live in high pressure environments and in environments with high and low temperatures. These organizations can also thrive in high and low acidic environments.

I could not wait to visit Gunnuhver because I finally I got the chance to visit the geothermically-toasty habitats where some of the hardiest thermophiles in the world thrive.

Gunnuhver is part of the Reykjanes volcanic system which extends in the Atlantic Ocean in the area of Kísilhóll. The area almost looks surreal but it displays reminders that our planet is still busy. You can see the carnage of what was once a wooden viewing platform surrounded gaseous steam and mud pots.

The thermophiles that live at Gunnuhver like very high temperatures above the boiling point of water. They help breakdown elements like iron and sulfur which results in the colorful shades of red, green, yellow and blue.

Gunnuhver unlike the other geo active areas & mud pots across Iceland, is fed by seawater.

In the future, as I increase my knowledge and explore the planet more, I intend to share more on thermophiles and on their phylogeny. Most are thought to have some of the oldest lineages of all species.

Exploring and seeing these geological wonders in this region is unforgettable. Smelling the particular areas in the region is unforgettable also. You definitely can always tell when you are standing above or around active hotbeds. The fumaroles are a major give away and the surrounding stench of rotten eggs.

Fumaroles are openings in the Earth’s crust that emit hot gases, such as steam. You see them all over Iceland emitting carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and other subterranean elemental compounds. It is al truly fascinating.

You definitely do not want to go desolate regions without a guide or ones that are not openly visible and accessible. Being safe is what is most important.

After a bumpy but exciting ride I finally arrived to see the counties largest geothermal mud pool.

The landscape is so dramatic and the geothermal activity is rampant. When I got out of the car, I felt like I teleported to another vastly different biome. There was little to no black basaltic volcanic rocks in sight. Varying hues of burnt sienna, orange and rich browns painted the earth.

I can’t express enough how important it is to stay along the paths for safety.

As we got closer to the viewing platform, earths oven had me thinking about shedding a layer of my ski gear.

Gunnuhver stretches 65 feet wide and from the deep fissures underneath and around, steam plumes accompany the extreme temperatures around 570 degrees F! I briefly had a “Minecraft Moment” and thought that I was in the nether.

I never thought I’d get to see bubbling mud but I have learned now to never say never! 🌋🔥🌏 .

Our planets diversity is undeniable. We can also not ignore the fact that it is fragile.

As a kid, I always enjoyed geography and learning about all of the different countries, various geological landscapes and different biomes on earth. AA couple of years ago my mom asked me a question. She asked me, “if I could go anywhere on planet earth, where would I go”? I told her that I wanted to go to all of the places that she has been.

She chuckled and said, “well, there are certainly some places that she won’t be able to take me that she has been to”. Of course times have changed but she promised to do her best.

She spent a lot of time in Iceland many moons ago. Also while doing laundry she was always emptying my pockets which were full of rocks that I collected throughout the day so guess what? Iceland was my top choice. So my family & I set off on a geology-infused adventure to see real balsatic volcanoes and to see something that I was super excited about, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

We backtracked exact places that my mom explored years ago and finally, I made it to the continental divide. I was amazed. Initially I was thinking about the movie IceAge and Scratt the Squirrel but this was beyond my wildest imagination. It was amazing!

I found myself surrounded by black sand as we explored the rift between the North American Plate and the Eurasian Plate. While this place was breathtaking, it is actively drifting apart at a rate of three millimeters each year. The black sand that we walked through is a fissure, evidence of the continental drift. There is bridge that you can walk across representing the connection between Europe and North America. There are several places on Earth where tectonic plates are spreading apart however, most of these places are under water. Thingvellir National Park, a World Heritage Site, is one of the few places on the planet where an underwater ridge rises above the surface of the water.

I found another planetary marker around Hafnir, the planet Uranus. This gas planet which is made up of mostly rock and ice however, it spins a bit different from most planets. It’s axis is tilted! (Fun fact)!

Exploring while learning makes for the best unforgettable experiences especially in extreme places like this. The weather can change in an instant yet still the landscape continues to captivate. I💙🇮🇸

Our planet is amazing! .

Be prepared to explore!

I found Saturn 🪐, the 6th planet from the Sun. It happens to be the second-largest planet in the Solar System. This gas giant has a radius nine times that of planet Earth! 🪐🪐🪐 The Solar System planet sculptures are located along the Peninsula at the scalar distance from the Sun. .

My quest to explore part of the longest mountain chain in the world, “MAR”, the Mid Atlantic Ridge, can officially go down in the history books! Now there is still over 25,000 miles to explore across the ocean floor but this amazing experience will suffice for now.

After a full day of exploring several amazing natural features that the country has to offer, I could not wait to get out of the car and explore when we arrived at this breathtaking location! I found myself surrounded by black sand as we explored the rift between the North American and Eurasian Plates. Yes, plate tectonics! While this place was breathtaking, it is still actively drifting apart (diverging) at a rate of about three millimeters each year.

There is a bridge that you can walk across representing the connection between Europe and North America.

The MAR’s deep rift valley crest marks the location where the two plates are moving apart.

There are so many neat things to see that tangibly connect what you read in books to reality. Just go outside and explore.

Places like this should remind us all just how special and precious our planet is. As inhabitants of this planet, we have to responsibly care for it. 🌎💙

One of the great things about exploring planet earth is that sometimes you end up finding unexpected places, you see natural marvels and sometimes you can traverse paths of historical significance.

One of my Icelandic adventures carried me to a bizarre shiny statue which happened to be located at a historically little known place.

This statue was labeled “Neptune”, a planetary marker, which is remotely located at one of the three places that NASA astronauts trained back in the mid 1960’s preceding the Apollo 11 mission to the moon.

Húsavík was chosen by NASA for its lunar training activities because it’s terrain resembled the lunar surface - moreso than any other place on earth. There has only been 12 astronauts to set foot on the moon and nine of them trained in Húsavík.

I felt like a space superhero exploring the places that Neil Armstrong, Harrison Schmidt and the other astronauts explored while preparing to visit the moon.

I truly felt like I was “out of this world”. The only thing missing was “my” space suit!

The geological landscape is breathtaking. The novice rock fanatic would be in awe. For a seasoned geologist that awe can be magnified tenfold to infinity based on the unique and rare elemental compositions of the rocks. Some of the oldest rocks there are said to be 16 million years old. Being a kid that just happens to love rocks and has a fascination with the periodic table of elements, I was in heaven.

Grasshoppers Galore

Having the opportunity to simply explore nature, insects and animals in their natural environment is amazing and it is so much fun.

I imagined that I would see several alligators. I ended up seeing three alligators, a baby one that was around 2 years old according to the park ranger. Another that was around 6 years old and there was one that I couldn’t tell his size/length. I briefly saw his eyes 👀 then he submerged into the water.

Now the unexpected surprise was that I got to see thousands of memorizing & noisy grasshoppers! For a brief moment, I thought that I was on another planet. It was a surreal experience! They were huge and they were pretty awesome to observe. They seemed just as curious as I was as I glanced at several of them intensely with wonder. I hope that our conservation efforts will allow for this place to be present for years to come and that perhaps one day in the far future, I will be able to bring my kids here to see the alligators and *bonus* grasshoppers.

Did you know:

The Romalea Microptera (also know as the Lubber Grasshopper) is among the largest species of grasshopper in North America and it's native to the Southeastern United States. Lubbers are found in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and parts of North Carolina, as well as Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and parts of Texas.

“𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘄𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘀𝘀 𝗶𝘁, 𝘄𝗲 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗲𝘁”. ~ 𝒥𝑜𝑒 𝒫𝑜𝒹𝑔𝑒𝓇, 𝐸𝓃𝓋𝒾𝓇𝑜𝓃𝓂𝑒𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓁𝒾𝓈𝓉

Did you know that the Everglades are a complex system of “interdependent ecosystems” with water being the dominant force. The borders between the ecosystems are subtle or imperceptible.

Approximately 50 percent of the original Everglades was developed as agricultural or urban area mainly supporting sugarcane which was its primary crop?

This agricultural period of rapid development led to environmental degradation. Additional issues impacted the Everglades over the years, high levels of phosphorus leading to rapid growth of invasive plant species. It has dealt with algal blooms as well as bioaccumulation of methyl-mercury throughout the food chain.

The Everglades ecosystem began to receive notable attention from conservation groups in the 1970s. Internationally, UNESCO and the Ramsar Convention designated the Everglades a Wetland Area of Global Importance.