Iceland. The Empire of Nature - Episode 1

Episode 1: FROM REYKJANES TO SNÆFELLSNES

The Power of Separation

The first episode begins in southwest Iceland, on the Reykjanes Peninsula, where the Mid-Atlantic Ridge rises above sea level. Here, the boundary between the Eurasian and North American plates is exposed through fissures, faults and active volcanic systems, direct evidence of the ongoing creation of new crust. The recent lava fields of Fagradalsfjall and the geothermal areas of Svartsengi, Gunnuhver and Krýsuvík reveal the interaction between ascending magma and groundwater, giving rise to fumaroles, solfataras and extensive basaltic lava deposits. At Ögmundarhraun, solidified flows preserve the imprint of historical eruptions that reshaped the landscape in geologically very recent times...