PEDD 9640 - Geology and Natural History of Iceland - Part 1

Course Description

This course will cover the geology and natural history of Iceland in a 10-day field trip to the island. Iceland is an exceptional place to observe the mechanisms of plate tectonics. Nowhere on Earth is the architecture of the spreading sea floor better exposed. Chains of volcanoes, faulting and geothermal activity are all part of the rift separating the Atlantic and the Eurasian Plates. Very little of the native plant life has survived human occupation. We will observe and discuss the effects on the animal life of the island, especially birds. We will focus on the following; The 4 major formations/events of the geologic history of Iceland, Tertiary Basalt formation, Plio-Pleistocene Formation, Upper Pleistocene Formation, Holocene events, characteristics of each of the above formations, names and characteristics of Earth?s 5 interior regions, 2 types of crust & characteristics of each, 3 types of plate boundaries, photos, diagrams and information from each Field Trip Stop.