GSA'S FIRST STUDENT-ORIENTED GEOVENTURES TRIP: ICELAND-2002

In August of 2002, 26 students experienced the geologic field trip of a lifetime: the first Student-Oriented Geoventures trip to Iceland. Led by Professor James Reynolds, the students visited everything from still steaming lava flows at Krafla to glacial lagoon Jökulsaron.

The route traveled was essentially Route 1, which encircles the island. After arriving in Keflivík, the route took the group through the central Icleandic desert, between the icecaps Langjökull and Hofsjökull, and up to the northern Icelandic coast near Akureyri, a course that yielded a glimpse of the evolution of glacial morphology and climate. From there, the group traveled to Mývatn, to spend several days studying the intensely varied geology of the active rift region. Askja was visited next to examine the scale of effusive volcanism and caldera-style eruptions. The group then proceeded to travel to the eastern Icelandic coast, visiting the evolving fjordlands, and the eastern edge of the Vatnajökull icecap. Skirting the southern margin of the island allowed the group to study the outwash plains of periodic jökulhlaups (near Skaftafell National Park), the acidic province of Landmannalauger and finally the volcano Hekla.

Students provided their own camping gear, and cooking was mastered in a communal tent, with rotating groups of chefs. Most campsites were equipped with running water and hot showers! Of the nine camping locations, four had hot springs nearby to soak in. A charter bus, with an English-speaking Icelandic driver, was the mode of transport throughout the trip.

Even with the ever present rain, each person came away from the trip with a renewed love of geology, a better understanding of the geologic processes that make Iceland so dynamic, and a desire to participate in the next Student-Oriented GeoVenture.