The Great Rift

 For every action there is an equal reaction, I am told.  The tectonic plates in the Pacific are sliding underneath each other, which is the source of our Ring of Fire.  Subduction.  Well, over here on the other side of the earth, the plates are splitting apart.  Indeed, here in Iceland is one of the only places on earth where you can stand on the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates.  It is visible in many places in Iceland, but really apparent here at Thingvellir (it looks like a funky P, but my keyboard doesn’t have Icelandic letters).  This site is a national park, and notable geologically for the reasons above.  The rift here is widening by 2cm per year.  No small dice.  The whole area is a series of fissures.  Indeed, the lake adjacent to this sits in the largest fissure and the deepest parts are below sea level.  Mind boggling.  So that’s the geology side of it in a nutshell.  Jim is probably having a stroke due to the oversimplifications. 

You can see the impact in the following detail:  until 2011, there was a gravel path that extended down from the top to the bottom.  A deep fissure opened up and collapsed the walkway.  They built a boardwalk over this area.  

On the cultural and historical side, this area is also significant:  The name means meeting place.  Starting in around AD930, the local chieftains of the island met here to do what they do at an annual meeting.  There are ruins from some of the chieftain’s lodging, and other archaeological findings.  The setting evidently has great acoustics.  Christianity came to Iceland via Norway in AD1000, and with the help of Norwegian King Olaf II, timbers were sent over for a church, located in the valley. 

So pagan, Christian and geological, historical.  The national park itself is stunning, and the prevalence of vegetation there really stands in stark contrast to the surrounding area, which, while also beautiful, feels somewhat denuded.  Guessing centuries of grazing sheep has an impact.  The low clouds and intermittent drizzle contributed to an amazing atmospheric feel, really loved this day.