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[christopherschronicles]

Geothermal Bubbling Mud Adventures

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.

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[christopherschronicles]

Extreme Environments : The Hot Side 🔥

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.

I believe that in order to explore beyond our atmosphere, we have to understand the extremes of life on our planet. To maintain the health of our planet, we equally have to understand these things.

[christopherschronicles]

Extraordinary Learning & Exploring Our Environment

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.

There are so many neat things to see that tangibly connect what you read in books to reality. Just more evidence that shows just how special and precious our planet is. As inhabitants of this planet, we have to responsibly care for it. 🌎💙

[christopherschronicles]

The Qwest to Find Uranus

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!

[christopherschronicles]

Finding the 6th Planet from the Sun🪐

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. .

[christopherschronicles]

Following the Footsteps of Legends

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.

This is one of favorite places on planet earth that I enjoy visiting. It really reinforced my thoughts about just how delicate and diverse our planet is. How can one not be lulled to take care it so that others can enjoy it for generations to come.