http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ijsland/ Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:33:30 -0700 Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:33:30 -0700 http://www.flickr.com/ http://l.yimg.com/g/images/buddyicon.gif http://www.flickr.com/photos/tags/ijsland/ http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/9023696618/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/9023696618/" title="Atlantic Ridge @ Iceland (south-side)"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2868/9023696618_6454cc79f4_m.jpg" width="240" height="102" alt="Atlantic Ridge @ Iceland (south-side)" /></a></p> <p>Mid-Atlantic Ridge South Coast Iceland<br /> <br /> The ridge was central in the breakup of the hypothetical Pangaea that began some 180 million years ago.<br /> <br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland<br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South American Plate in the South Atlantic. The Ridge extends from a junction with the Gakkel Ridge (Mid-Arctic Ridge) northeast of Greenland southward to the Bouvet Triple Junction in the South Atlantic. Although the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is mostly an underwater feature, portions of it have enough elevation to extend above sea level. The section of the ridge which includes the island of Iceland is also known as the Reykjanes Ridge. The average spreading rate for the ridge is about 2.5 cm per year.<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics<br /> The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century.<br /> Remnants of the Farallon Plate, deep in Earth's mantle. It is thought that much of the plate initially went under North America (particularly the western United States and southwest Canada) at a very shallow angle, creating much of the mountainous terrain in the area (particularly the southern Rocky Mountains).<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motions of Earth's lithosphere. The model builds on the concepts of continental drift, developed during the first decades of the 20th century. It was accepted by the geoscientific community after the concepts of seafloor spreading were developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<br /> The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates. On Earth, there are seven or eight major plates (depending on how they are defined) and many minor plates. Where plates meet, their relative motion determines the type of boundary: convergent, divergent, or transform. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries. The lateral relative movement of the plates typically varies from zero to 100 mm annually.<br /> Tectonic plates are composed of oceanic lithosphere and thicker continental lithosphere, each topped by its own kind of crust. Along convergent boundaries, subduction carries plates into the mantle; the material lost is roughly balanced by the formation of new (oceanic) crust along divergent margins by seafloor spreading. In this way, the total surface of the globe remains the same. This prediction of plate tectonics is also referred to as the conveyor belt principle. Earlier theories (that still have some supporters) proposed gradual shrinking (contraction) or gradual expansion of the globe.<br /> Tectonic plates are able to move because the Earth's lithosphere has a higher strength and lower density than the underlying asthenosphere. Lateral density variations in the mantle result in convection. Plate movement is thought to be driven by a combination of the motion of the seafloor away from the spreading ridge (due to variations in topography and density of the crust, which result in differences in gravitational forces) and drag, downward suction, at the subduction zones. Another explanation lies in the different forces generated by the rotation of the globe and the tidal forces of the Sun and the Moon. The relative importance of each of these factors is unclear, and is still subject to debate.<br /> <br /> Continental Drift.<br /> <br /> Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other by appearing to drift across the ocean bed. The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. The concept was independently (and more fully) developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. The theory of continental drift was superseded by the theory of plate tectonics, which builds upon and better explains why the continents move.<br /> <br /> North Amercan Plate<br /> <br /> The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Iceland and the Azores. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust. The interior of the main continental landmass includes an extensive granitic core called a craton. Along most of the edges of this craton are fragments of crustal material called terranes, accreted to the craton by tectonic actions over the long span of geologic time. It is believed that much of North America west of the Rockies is composed of such terranes.<br /> <br /> Geographic extent<br /> The easterly side of the North American Plate is a divergent boundary with the Eurasian Plate to the north and the African Plate to the south forming the northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The southerly boundary with the Cocos Plate to the west and the Caribbean Plate to the east is a transform fault, represented by the Cayman Trench under the Caribbean Sea and the Motagua Fault through Guatemala. The parallel Septentrional and Enriquillo-Plantain Garden faults, which run through the island of Hispaniola and bound the Gonâve Microplate, are also a part of the boundary. The rest of the southerly margin which extends east to the Mid Atlantic Ridge and marks the boundary between the North American Plate and the South American Plate remains poorly understood and undefined.<br /> On the northerly boundary is a continuation of the Mid-Atlantic ridge called the Gakkel Ridge. The rest of the boundary in the far northwestern part of the plate extends into Siberia. This boundary continues from the end of the Gakkel Ridge as the Laptev Sea Rift, on to a transitional deformation zone in the Chersky Range, then the Ulakhan Fault between it and the Okhotsk Plate, and finally the Aleutian Trench to the end of the Queen Charlotte Fault system.<br /> The westerly boundary is the Queen Charlotte Fault running offshore along the coast of Alaska and the Cascadia subduction zone to the north, the San Andreas Fault through California, the East Pacific Rise in the Gulf of California, and the Middle America Trench to the south.<br /> On its western edge the Farallon Plate has been subducting under the North American Plate since the Jurassic Period. The Farallon Plate has almost completely subducted beneath the western portion of the North American Plate leaving that part of the North American Plate in contact with the Pacific Plate as the San Andreas Fault. The Juan de Fuca, Explorer, Gorda, Cocos and Nazca Plates are remnants of the Farallon Plate.<br /> The boundary along the Gulf of California is complex. The Gulf is underlain by the Gulf of California Rift Zone, a series of rift basins and transform fault segments between the northern end of the East Pacific Rise in the mouth of the gulf to the San Andreas Fault system in the vicinity of the Salton Trough rift/Brawley seismic zone.<br /> It is generally accepted that a piece of the North American Plate was broken off and transported north as the East Pacific Rise propagated northward, creating the Gulf of California. However, it is as yet unclear whether the oceanic crust east of the Rise and west of the mainland coast of Mexico is actually a new plate beginning to converge with the North American Plate, consistent with the standard model of rift zone spreading centers generally.[citation needed]<br /> <br /> Hotspots<br /> A few hotspots are thought to exist below the North American Plate. The most notable hotspots are the Yellowstone (Wyoming), Raton (New Mexico), and Anahim (British Columbia) hotspots. These are thought to be caused by a narrow stream of hot mantle convecting up the Earth's core-mantle boundary called a mantle plume, although some geologists prefer upper-mantle convection as a cause. The Yellowstone and Anahim hotspots are thought to have first arrived during the Miocene period and are still geologically active, creating earthquakes and volcanoes. The Yellowstone hotspot is most notable for the Yellowstone Caldera and the many calderas that lie in the Snake River Plain while the Anahim hotspot is most notable for the Anahim Volcanic Belt, currently found in the Nazko Cone area.<br /> <br /> Plate motion<br /> For the most part, the North American Plate moves in roughly a southwest direction away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The motion of the plate cannot be driven by subduction as no part of the North American Plate is being subducted, except for a small section comprising part of the Puerto Rico Trench; thus other mechanisms continue to be investigated.<br /> One recent study suggests that a mantle convective current is propelling the plate.</p> Tue, 11 Jun 2013 23:33:30 -0700 2013-04-10T12:36:13-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/9023696618 63.890875 -22.691574 63.890875 -22.691574 980170 Atlantic Ridge @ Iceland (south-side) <p>Mid-Atlantic Ridge South Coast Iceland<br /> <br /> The ridge was central in the breakup of the hypothetical Pangaea that began some 180 million years ago.<br /> <br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland<br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South American Plate in the South Atlantic. The Ridge extends from a junction with the Gakkel Ridge (Mid-Arctic Ridge) northeast of Greenland southward to the Bouvet Triple Junction in the South Atlantic. Although the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is mostly an underwater feature, portions of it have enough elevation to extend above sea level. The section of the ridge which includes the island of Iceland is also known as the Reykjanes Ridge. The average spreading rate for the ridge is about 2.5 cm per year.<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics<br /> The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century.<br /> Remnants of the Farallon Plate, deep in Earth's mantle. It is thought that much of the plate initially went under North America (particularly the western United States and southwest Canada) at a very shallow angle, creating much of the mountainous terrain in the area (particularly the southern Rocky Mountains).<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motions of Earth's lithosphere. The model builds on the concepts of continental drift, developed during the first decades of the 20th century. It was accepted by the geoscientific community after the concepts of seafloor spreading were developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<br /> The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates. On Earth, there are seven or eight major plates (depending on how they are defined) and many minor plates. Where plates meet, their relative motion determines the type of boundary: convergent, divergent, or transform. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries. The lateral relative movement of the plates typically varies from zero to 100 mm annually.<br /> Tectonic plates are composed of oceanic lithosphere and thicker continental lithosphere, each topped by its own kind of crust. Along convergent boundaries, subduction carries plates into the mantle; the material lost is roughly balanced by the formation of new (oceanic) crust along divergent margins by seafloor spreading. In this way, the total surface of the globe remains the same. This prediction of plate tectonics is also referred to as the conveyor belt principle. Earlier theories (that still have some supporters) proposed gradual shrinking (contraction) or gradual expansion of the globe.<br /> Tectonic plates are able to move because the Earth's lithosphere has a higher strength and lower density than the underlying asthenosphere. Lateral density variations in the mantle result in convection. Plate movement is thought to be driven by a combination of the motion of the seafloor away from the spreading ridge (due to variations in topography and density of the crust, which result in differences in gravitational forces) and drag, downward suction, at the subduction zones. Another explanation lies in the different forces generated by the rotation of the globe and the tidal forces of the Sun and the Moon. The relative importance of each of these factors is unclear, and is still subject to debate.<br /> <br /> Continental Drift.<br /> <br /> Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other by appearing to drift across the ocean bed. The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. The concept was independently (and more fully) developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. The theory of continental drift was superseded by the theory of plate tectonics, which builds upon and better explains why the continents move.<br /> <br /> North Amercan Plate<br /> <br /> The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Iceland and the Azores. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust. The interior of the main continental landmass includes an extensive granitic core called a craton. Along most of the edges of this craton are fragments of crustal material called terranes, accreted to the craton by tectonic actions over the long span of geologic time. It is believed that much of North America west of the Rockies is composed of such terranes.<br /> <br /> Geographic extent<br /> The easterly side of the North American Plate is a divergent boundary with the Eurasian Plate to the north and the African Plate to the south forming the northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The southerly boundary with the Cocos Plate to the west and the Caribbean Plate to the east is a transform fault, represented by the Cayman Trench under the Caribbean Sea and the Motagua Fault through Guatemala. The parallel Septentrional and Enriquillo-Plantain Garden faults, which run through the island of Hispaniola and bound the Gonâve Microplate, are also a part of the boundary. The rest of the southerly margin which extends east to the Mid Atlantic Ridge and marks the boundary between the North American Plate and the South American Plate remains poorly understood and undefined.<br /> On the northerly boundary is a continuation of the Mid-Atlantic ridge called the Gakkel Ridge. The rest of the boundary in the far northwestern part of the plate extends into Siberia. This boundary continues from the end of the Gakkel Ridge as the Laptev Sea Rift, on to a transitional deformation zone in the Chersky Range, then the Ulakhan Fault between it and the Okhotsk Plate, and finally the Aleutian Trench to the end of the Queen Charlotte Fault system.<br /> The westerly boundary is the Queen Charlotte Fault running offshore along the coast of Alaska and the Cascadia subduction zone to the north, the San Andreas Fault through California, the East Pacific Rise in the Gulf of California, and the Middle America Trench to the south.<br /> On its western edge the Farallon Plate has been subducting under the North American Plate since the Jurassic Period. The Farallon Plate has almost completely subducted beneath the western portion of the North American Plate leaving that part of the North American Plate in contact with the Pacific Plate as the San Andreas Fault. The Juan de Fuca, Explorer, Gorda, Cocos and Nazca Plates are remnants of the Farallon Plate.<br /> The boundary along the Gulf of California is complex. The Gulf is underlain by the Gulf of California Rift Zone, a series of rift basins and transform fault segments between the northern end of the East Pacific Rise in the mouth of the gulf to the San Andreas Fault system in the vicinity of the Salton Trough rift/Brawley seismic zone.<br /> It is generally accepted that a piece of the North American Plate was broken off and transported north as the East Pacific Rise propagated northward, creating the Gulf of California. However, it is as yet unclear whether the oceanic crust east of the Rise and west of the mainland coast of Mexico is actually a new plate beginning to converge with the North American Plate, consistent with the standard model of rift zone spreading centers generally.[citation needed]<br /> <br /> Hotspots<br /> A few hotspots are thought to exist below the North American Plate. The most notable hotspots are the Yellowstone (Wyoming), Raton (New Mexico), and Anahim (British Columbia) hotspots. These are thought to be caused by a narrow stream of hot mantle convecting up the Earth's core-mantle boundary called a mantle plume, although some geologists prefer upper-mantle convection as a cause. The Yellowstone and Anahim hotspots are thought to have first arrived during the Miocene period and are still geologically active, creating earthquakes and volcanoes. The Yellowstone hotspot is most notable for the Yellowstone Caldera and the many calderas that lie in the Snake River Plain while the Anahim hotspot is most notable for the Anahim Volcanic Belt, currently found in the Nazko Cone area.<br /> <br /> Plate motion<br /> For the most part, the North American Plate moves in roughly a southwest direction away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The motion of the plate cannot be driven by subduction as no part of the North American Plate is being subducted, except for a small section comprising part of the Puerto Rico Trench; thus other mechanisms continue to be investigated.<br /> One recent study suggests that a mantle convective current is propelling the plate.</p> shoot it! panorama landscape lava iceland panoramic april atlanticocean hotspot landschap platetectonics pangaea northatlantic tectonicplates ijsland midatlanticridge 2013 atlantischeoceaan continentaldrift hotpots reykjanesridge midoceanridge eurasianplate april2013 northamercanplate gakkelridge http://www.flickr.com/photos/coenversluis/9019196782/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/coenversluis/">CoenV</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coenversluis/9019196782/" title="Reykjavik City Hall, Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, Höfuðborgarsvæðið, IJsland"><img src="http://farm6.staticflickr.com/5324/9019196782_8c20c203db_m.jpg" width="240" height="73" alt="Reykjavik City Hall, Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, Höfuðborgarsvæðið, IJsland" /></a></p> <p>View from Reykjavik City Hall over lake Tjörnin</p> Tue, 11 Jun 2013 12:24:42 -0700 2013-03-02T10:48:22-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (CoenV) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/9019196782 64.145673 -21.942718 64.145673 -21.942718 980156 Reykjavik City Hall, Tjarnargata, Reykjavik, Höfuðborgarsvæðið, IJsland <p>View from Reykjavik City Hall over lake Tjörnin</p> CoenV city panorama hall iceland cityhall sony reykjavik alpha stiched 10jaar 580 10year tjörnin ijsland sonyalpha tjarnargata höfuðborgarsvæðið ymor sonyalpha580 http://www.flickr.com/photos/coenversluis/8995731468/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/coenversluis/">CoenV</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/coenversluis/8995731468/" title="Langjökull glacier Iceland"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7406/8995731468_bf547b46e3_m.jpg" width="240" height="68" alt="Langjökull glacier Iceland" /></a></p> <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%c3%b6kull" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%C3%B6kull</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%c3%b6kull" rel="nofollow">nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%C3%B6kull</a><br /> <br /> Langjökull (Icelandic for &quot;long glacier&quot;) is the second largest ice cap in Iceland (953 km2), after Vatnajökull.<br /> <br /> This panorama was created using 18 photographs</p> Sun, 09 Jun 2013 04:37:10 -0700 2013-03-01T17:24:11-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (CoenV) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8995731468 64.51927 -20.675651 64.51927 -20.675651 20070109 Langjökull glacier Iceland <p><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%c3%b6kull" rel="nofollow">en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%C3%B6kull</a><br /> <br /> <a href="http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%c3%b6kull" rel="nofollow">nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Langj%C3%B6kull</a><br /> <br /> Langjökull (Icelandic for &quot;long glacier&quot;) is the second largest ice cap in Iceland (953 km2), after Vatnajökull.<br /> <br /> This panorama was created using 18 photographs</p> CoenV panorama snow island iceland sam sneeuw glacier 1855 alpha jubileum stiched 10jaar sont 580 10year langjökull snowscooter ijsland superjeep 2013 sonyalpha a580 ymor sonyalpha580 sneewscooter http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastien-banuls/8994176956/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/sebastien-banuls/">sebastien banuls</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastien-banuls/8994176956/" title="Iceland landscape"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8403/8994176956_45a0a0e07a_m.jpg" width="240" height="161" alt="Iceland landscape" /></a></p> Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:16:22 -0700 2011-06-22T18:19:37-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (sebastien banuls) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8994176956 64.18964 -20.574645 64.18964 -20.574645 2345687 Iceland landscape sebastien banuls voyage travel nature canon landscape island photography eos iceland islandia photographie 旅游 paysage beau islande izland sauvage アイス islanda mýrdalsjökull 摄影 islândia eyjafjallajökull ijsland islanti איסלנד náttúran исландия アイスランド 冰岛 villtur 아이슬란드 ισλανδία आइसलैंड أيسلندا sebastienbanuls આઇસલેન્ડ http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastien-banuls/8992987155/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/sebastien-banuls/">sebastien banuls</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastien-banuls/8992987155/" title="Iceland"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7447/8992987155_287cf458ab_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Iceland" /></a></p> Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:16:21 -0700 2011-06-25T12:21:49-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (sebastien banuls) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8992987155 64.168555 -21.937294 64.168555 -21.937294 980389 Iceland sebastien banuls voyage travel nature canon landscape island photography eos iceland islandia photographie 旅游 paysage beau islande izland sauvage アイス islanda mýrdalsjökull 摄影 islândia eyjafjallajökull ijsland islanti איסלנד náttúran исландия アイスランド 冰岛 villtur 아이슬란드 ισλανδία आइसलैंड أيسلندا sebastienbanuls આઇસલેન્ડ http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastien-banuls/8992986375/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/sebastien-banuls/">sebastien banuls</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/sebastien-banuls/8992986375/" title="Iceland &quot;Blue Lagoon&quot;"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3751/8992986375_d3c7d0454a_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Iceland &quot;Blue Lagoon&quot;" /></a></p> Sun, 09 Jun 2013 00:16:22 -0700 2011-06-24T15:17:30-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (sebastien banuls) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8992986375 63.88211 -22.449445 63.88211 -22.449445 980157 Iceland "Blue Lagoon" sebastien banuls voyage travel nature canon landscape island photography eos iceland islandia photographie 旅游 paysage beau islande izland sauvage アイス islanda mýrdalsjökull 摄影 islândia eyjafjallajökull ijsland islanti איסלנד náttúran исландия アイスランド 冰岛 villtur 아이슬란드 ισλανδία आइसलैंड أيسلندا sebastienbanuls આઇસલેન્ડ http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8975809764/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8975809764/" title="Iceland - surface -"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8253/8975809764_4afb0a8981_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Iceland - surface -" /></a></p> <p>Vulcanic Landscape South Iceland<br /> <br /> Alien Skin Exposure 3<br /> Color Film Kodachrome 35mm faded (creamy darker)</p> Thu, 06 Jun 2013 23:04:13 -0700 2013-04-10T12:18:24-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8975809764 63.912019 -22.68402 63.912019 -22.68402 980170 Iceland - surface - <p>Vulcanic Landscape South Iceland<br /> <br /> Alien Skin Exposure 3<br /> Color Film Kodachrome 35mm faded (creamy darker)</p> shoot it! photoshop landscape lava iceland europa surface ashes atlanticocean landschap vulcanic ijsland midatlanticridge alienskin lavasand alienskinsoftware kirkjuvogur photoshopcs5 alienskinexposure3 http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8965263075/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8965263075/" title="Iceland - Lighthouse -"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7298/8965263075_5d077bfca3_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Iceland - Lighthouse -" /></a></p> <p>It looks cond and it was cold.</p> Wed, 05 Jun 2013 22:12:30 -0700 2013-04-10T11:06:46-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8965263075 64.082874 -22.693977 64.082874 -22.693977 980144 Iceland - Lighthouse - <p>It looks cond and it was cold.</p> shoot it! trip blue red sea sunlight lighthouse photoshop canon daylight is iceland availablelight naturallight bluesky zee atlantic april canon5d rood atlanticocean vuurtoren ijsland alienskin gullbringusysla alienskinsoftware canon5dmarkii atlantischoceaan april2013 photoshopcs5 alienskinexposure3 geryar http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8966128038/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8966128038/" title="Iceland - Lighthouse -"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8393/8966128038_b445b1cdca_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Iceland - Lighthouse -" /></a></p> <p>It looks cold and it was cold. Somewhere close to the coast in the south of Iceland, see map.</p> Wed, 05 Jun 2013 21:13:50 -0700 2013-04-10T11:05:33-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8966128038 64.082574 -22.69284 64.082574 -22.69284 980144 Iceland - Lighthouse - <p>It looks cold and it was cold. Somewhere close to the coast in the south of Iceland, see map.</p> shoot it! blue red sea sky lighthouse white seascape cold canon landscape iceland empty zee april canon5d icy atlanticocean vuurtoren landschap koud clearskies ijsland alienskin 2013 atlantischeoceaan gullbringusysla alienskinsoftware canon5dmarkii april2013 alienskinexposure3 geryar http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8822920072/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8822920072/" title="Iceland - Gullfoss -"><img src="http://farm4.staticflickr.com/3783/8822920072_8e649c085e_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Iceland - Gullfoss -" /></a></p> <p>De Gullfoss is een waterval in de Hvítá (Witte rivier) in Zuid-IJsland. Het is een van de mooiste watervallen van IJsland en is gemakkelijk (per auto) te bereiken.<br /> <br /> De Gullfosskloof<br /> Het water valt in twee trappen, die min of meer haaks op elkaar staan, 32 meter naar beneden in een kloof die ook weer geheel haaks op de tweede trap staat. De trappen worden gevormd door harde lagen basalt die worden afgewisseld door zachtere materialen. Deze afzonderlijke lagen zijn ook goed in de wanden van de kloof te herkennen. De kloof is meer dan 70 meter diep, 20 meter breed en 2,5 kilometer lang. De Hvítá is een gletsjerrivier die echter ook door regen wordt gevoed en kan grote hoeveelheden water vervoeren (50–110 m³/sec in de winter tot 100–180 m³/sec 's zomers). Het in de kloof neerstortende water zorgt vrijwel altijd voor een grote hoeveelheid stuifwater dat, als de zon erop schijnt, prachtige regenbogen veroorzaakt. Daaraan dankt de Gullfoss zijn naam: Gouden waterval. Het is mogelijk om helemaal tot aan de rand van de waterval te komen waarbij het donderende geraas overweldigend is. Als het steile pad (dat alleen met een dun touwtje is afgezet) in de winter beijzeld is, kan dat echter een hachelijke onderneming zijn.<br /> Aan het begin van de 20e eeuw wilden buitenlandse investeerders de Hvítá indammen om een waterkrachtcentrale te bouwen. De eigenaars van de Gullfoss, Halldór Halldórsson en Tómas Tómasson, wilden de grond echter niet verkopen, waarna de speculanten achter hun rug om rechtstreeks en met succes zaken met de IJslandse overheid gingen doen. Tómas' dochter Sigríður Tómasdóttir zou helemaal naar Reykjavik zijn gelopen om hun zaak te bevechten. Het populaire verhaal gaat dat zij zich in de waterval zou storten als de bouw van de krachtcentrale door zou gaan. Hoewel de bouw om andere redenen nooit is begonnen, staat er wel een stenen gedenkplaat ter herinnering aan deze dochter boven aan de waterval.<br /> Op IJsland is er nog een andere waterval die Gullfoss heet.<br /> <br /> Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls) is a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The wide Hvítá rushes southward. About a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the right and flows down into a wide curved three-step &quot;staircase&quot; and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m (105 ft) deep. The crevice, about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and 2.5 km in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running over this waterfall is 140 m³/s in the summertime and 80 m³/s in the wintertime. The highest flood measured was 2000 m³/s.<br /> As one first approaches the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so that it appears that a mighty river simply vanishes into the earth.<br /> During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During this period, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson, to foreign investors. However, the investors' attempts were unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money. The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland. Even after it was sold, there were plans to utilize Hvítá, which would have changed the waterfall forever. This was not done, and now the waterfall is protected.<br /> Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson was determined to preserve the waterfall's condition and even threatened to throw herself into the waterfall. Although it is widely believed, the very popular story that Sigríður did save the waterfall from use is not true. A stone memorial to Sigriður, located above the falls, depicts her profile.[1]<br /> Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur Gullfoss forms the Golden Circle, a popular day tour for tourists in Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss appears on the cover of the album Porcupine by the British band Echo and the Bunnymen. Additionally, the falls are referenced in the novella, The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock;[2] during a dinner, Snorri expresses a preference for Gullfoss, while Dr. Gustafsson favors Glymur.<br /> Gullfoss features in the music video for the single &quot;Heaven&quot; by the band Live. During the video a young man and a young woman separated by the Hvítá river exchange written messages carried on rocks that they throw to each other over the river and the falls. At the end of the music video the young man attempts to swim across the Hvítá river downstream from the Gulfoss. His young lady friend is so horrified by seeing him being washed down the Hvítá river that she also jumps into the river in order to help him. They then float down the river holding onto each other.</p> Sat, 25 May 2013 01:05:56 -0700 2013-04-09T18:11:38-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8822920072 64.251754 -20.286254 64.251754 -20.286254 2345687 Iceland - Gullfoss - <p>De Gullfoss is een waterval in de Hvítá (Witte rivier) in Zuid-IJsland. Het is een van de mooiste watervallen van IJsland en is gemakkelijk (per auto) te bereiken.<br /> <br /> De Gullfosskloof<br /> Het water valt in twee trappen, die min of meer haaks op elkaar staan, 32 meter naar beneden in een kloof die ook weer geheel haaks op de tweede trap staat. De trappen worden gevormd door harde lagen basalt die worden afgewisseld door zachtere materialen. Deze afzonderlijke lagen zijn ook goed in de wanden van de kloof te herkennen. De kloof is meer dan 70 meter diep, 20 meter breed en 2,5 kilometer lang. De Hvítá is een gletsjerrivier die echter ook door regen wordt gevoed en kan grote hoeveelheden water vervoeren (50–110 m³/sec in de winter tot 100–180 m³/sec 's zomers). Het in de kloof neerstortende water zorgt vrijwel altijd voor een grote hoeveelheid stuifwater dat, als de zon erop schijnt, prachtige regenbogen veroorzaakt. Daaraan dankt de Gullfoss zijn naam: Gouden waterval. Het is mogelijk om helemaal tot aan de rand van de waterval te komen waarbij het donderende geraas overweldigend is. Als het steile pad (dat alleen met een dun touwtje is afgezet) in de winter beijzeld is, kan dat echter een hachelijke onderneming zijn.<br /> Aan het begin van de 20e eeuw wilden buitenlandse investeerders de Hvítá indammen om een waterkrachtcentrale te bouwen. De eigenaars van de Gullfoss, Halldór Halldórsson en Tómas Tómasson, wilden de grond echter niet verkopen, waarna de speculanten achter hun rug om rechtstreeks en met succes zaken met de IJslandse overheid gingen doen. Tómas' dochter Sigríður Tómasdóttir zou helemaal naar Reykjavik zijn gelopen om hun zaak te bevechten. Het populaire verhaal gaat dat zij zich in de waterval zou storten als de bouw van de krachtcentrale door zou gaan. Hoewel de bouw om andere redenen nooit is begonnen, staat er wel een stenen gedenkplaat ter herinnering aan deze dochter boven aan de waterval.<br /> Op IJsland is er nog een andere waterval die Gullfoss heet.<br /> <br /> Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls) is a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The wide Hvítá rushes southward. About a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the right and flows down into a wide curved three-step &quot;staircase&quot; and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m (105 ft) deep. The crevice, about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and 2.5 km in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running over this waterfall is 140 m³/s in the summertime and 80 m³/s in the wintertime. The highest flood measured was 2000 m³/s.<br /> As one first approaches the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so that it appears that a mighty river simply vanishes into the earth.<br /> During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During this period, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson, to foreign investors. However, the investors' attempts were unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money. The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland. Even after it was sold, there were plans to utilize Hvítá, which would have changed the waterfall forever. This was not done, and now the waterfall is protected.<br /> Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson was determined to preserve the waterfall's condition and even threatened to throw herself into the waterfall. Although it is widely believed, the very popular story that Sigríður did save the waterfall from use is not true. A stone memorial to Sigriður, located above the falls, depicts her profile.[1]<br /> Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur Gullfoss forms the Golden Circle, a popular day tour for tourists in Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss appears on the cover of the album Porcupine by the British band Echo and the Bunnymen. Additionally, the falls are referenced in the novella, The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock;[2] during a dinner, Snorri expresses a preference for Gullfoss, while Dr. Gustafsson favors Glymur.<br /> Gullfoss features in the music video for the single &quot;Heaven&quot; by the band Live. During the video a young man and a young woman separated by the Hvítá river exchange written messages carried on rocks that they throw to each other over the river and the falls. At the end of the music video the young man attempts to swim across the Hvítá river downstream from the Gulfoss. His young lady friend is so horrified by seeing him being washed down the Hvítá river that she also jumps into the river in order to help him. They then float down the river holding onto each other.</p> shoot it! blue snow cold color ice water rock photoshop canon waterfall iceland spring blauw sneeuw falling canon5d lente gullfoss ijs waterval ijsland 2013 shootit canon5dmarkii april2013 photoshopcs5 http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8799128010/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8799128010/" title="Iceland - Gullfoss -"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7353/8799128010_845c17b119_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Iceland - Gullfoss -" /></a></p> <p>De Gullfoss is een waterval in de Hvítá (Witte rivier) in Zuid-IJsland. Het is een van de mooiste watervallen van IJsland en is gemakkelijk (per auto) te bereiken.<br /> <br /> De Gullfosskloof<br /> Het water valt in twee trappen, die min of meer haaks op elkaar staan, 32 meter naar beneden in een kloof die ook weer geheel haaks op de tweede trap staat. De trappen worden gevormd door harde lagen basalt die worden afgewisseld door zachtere materialen. Deze afzonderlijke lagen zijn ook goed in de wanden van de kloof te herkennen. De kloof is meer dan 70 meter diep, 20 meter breed en 2,5 kilometer lang. De Hvítá is een gletsjerrivier die echter ook door regen wordt gevoed en kan grote hoeveelheden water vervoeren (50–110 m³/sec in de winter tot 100–180 m³/sec 's zomers). Het in de kloof neerstortende water zorgt vrijwel altijd voor een grote hoeveelheid stuifwater dat, als de zon erop schijnt, prachtige regenbogen veroorzaakt. Daaraan dankt de Gullfoss zijn naam: Gouden waterval. Het is mogelijk om helemaal tot aan de rand van de waterval te komen waarbij het donderende geraas overweldigend is. Als het steile pad (dat alleen met een dun touwtje is afgezet) in de winter beijzeld is, kan dat echter een hachelijke onderneming zijn.<br /> Aan het begin van de 20e eeuw wilden buitenlandse investeerders de Hvítá indammen om een waterkrachtcentrale te bouwen. De eigenaars van de Gullfoss, Halldór Halldórsson en Tómas Tómasson, wilden de grond echter niet verkopen, waarna de speculanten achter hun rug om rechtstreeks en met succes zaken met de IJslandse overheid gingen doen. Tómas' dochter Sigríður Tómasdóttir zou helemaal naar Reykjavik zijn gelopen om hun zaak te bevechten. Het populaire verhaal gaat dat zij zich in de waterval zou storten als de bouw van de krachtcentrale door zou gaan. Hoewel de bouw om andere redenen nooit is begonnen, staat er wel een stenen gedenkplaat ter herinnering aan deze dochter boven aan de waterval.<br /> Op IJsland is er nog een andere waterval die Gullfoss heet.<br /> <br /> Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls) is a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The wide Hvítá rushes southward. About a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the right and flows down into a wide curved three-step &quot;staircase&quot; and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m (105 ft) deep. The crevice, about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and 2.5 km in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running over this waterfall is 140 m³/s in the summertime and 80 m³/s in the wintertime. The highest flood measured was 2000 m³/s.<br /> As one first approaches the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so that it appears that a mighty river simply vanishes into the earth.<br /> During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During this period, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson, to foreign investors. However, the investors' attempts were unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money. The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland. Even after it was sold, there were plans to utilize Hvítá, which would have changed the waterfall forever. This was not done, and now the waterfall is protected.<br /> Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson was determined to preserve the waterfall's condition and even threatened to throw herself into the waterfall. Although it is widely believed, the very popular story that Sigríður did save the waterfall from use is not true. A stone memorial to Sigriður, located above the falls, depicts her profile.[1]<br /> Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur Gullfoss forms the Golden Circle, a popular day tour for tourists in Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss appears on the cover of the album Porcupine by the British band Echo and the Bunnymen. Additionally, the falls are referenced in the novella, The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock;[2] during a dinner, Snorri expresses a preference for Gullfoss, while Dr. Gustafsson favors Glymur.<br /> Gullfoss features in the music video for the single &quot;Heaven&quot; by the band Live. During the video a young man and a young woman separated by the Hvítá river exchange written messages carried on rocks that they throw to each other over the river and the falls. At the end of the music video the young man attempts to swim across the Hvítá river downstream from the Gulfoss. His young lady friend is so horrified by seeing him being washed down the Hvítá river that she also jumps into the river in order to help him. They then float down the river holding onto each other.</p> Thu, 23 May 2013 01:13:44 -0700 2013-04-09T18:13:53-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8799128010 64.251754 -20.316467 64.251754 -20.316467 2345687 Iceland - Gullfoss - <p>De Gullfoss is een waterval in de Hvítá (Witte rivier) in Zuid-IJsland. Het is een van de mooiste watervallen van IJsland en is gemakkelijk (per auto) te bereiken.<br /> <br /> De Gullfosskloof<br /> Het water valt in twee trappen, die min of meer haaks op elkaar staan, 32 meter naar beneden in een kloof die ook weer geheel haaks op de tweede trap staat. De trappen worden gevormd door harde lagen basalt die worden afgewisseld door zachtere materialen. Deze afzonderlijke lagen zijn ook goed in de wanden van de kloof te herkennen. De kloof is meer dan 70 meter diep, 20 meter breed en 2,5 kilometer lang. De Hvítá is een gletsjerrivier die echter ook door regen wordt gevoed en kan grote hoeveelheden water vervoeren (50–110 m³/sec in de winter tot 100–180 m³/sec 's zomers). Het in de kloof neerstortende water zorgt vrijwel altijd voor een grote hoeveelheid stuifwater dat, als de zon erop schijnt, prachtige regenbogen veroorzaakt. Daaraan dankt de Gullfoss zijn naam: Gouden waterval. Het is mogelijk om helemaal tot aan de rand van de waterval te komen waarbij het donderende geraas overweldigend is. Als het steile pad (dat alleen met een dun touwtje is afgezet) in de winter beijzeld is, kan dat echter een hachelijke onderneming zijn.<br /> Aan het begin van de 20e eeuw wilden buitenlandse investeerders de Hvítá indammen om een waterkrachtcentrale te bouwen. De eigenaars van de Gullfoss, Halldór Halldórsson en Tómas Tómasson, wilden de grond echter niet verkopen, waarna de speculanten achter hun rug om rechtstreeks en met succes zaken met de IJslandse overheid gingen doen. Tómas' dochter Sigríður Tómasdóttir zou helemaal naar Reykjavik zijn gelopen om hun zaak te bevechten. Het populaire verhaal gaat dat zij zich in de waterval zou storten als de bouw van de krachtcentrale door zou gaan. Hoewel de bouw om andere redenen nooit is begonnen, staat er wel een stenen gedenkplaat ter herinnering aan deze dochter boven aan de waterval.<br /> Op IJsland is er nog een andere waterval die Gullfoss heet.<br /> <br /> Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls) is a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The wide Hvítá rushes southward. About a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the right and flows down into a wide curved three-step &quot;staircase&quot; and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m (105 ft) deep. The crevice, about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and 2.5 km in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running over this waterfall is 140 m³/s in the summertime and 80 m³/s in the wintertime. The highest flood measured was 2000 m³/s.<br /> As one first approaches the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so that it appears that a mighty river simply vanishes into the earth.<br /> During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During this period, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson, to foreign investors. However, the investors' attempts were unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money. The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland. Even after it was sold, there were plans to utilize Hvítá, which would have changed the waterfall forever. This was not done, and now the waterfall is protected.<br /> Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson was determined to preserve the waterfall's condition and even threatened to throw herself into the waterfall. Although it is widely believed, the very popular story that Sigríður did save the waterfall from use is not true. A stone memorial to Sigriður, located above the falls, depicts her profile.[1]<br /> Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur Gullfoss forms the Golden Circle, a popular day tour for tourists in Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss appears on the cover of the album Porcupine by the British band Echo and the Bunnymen. Additionally, the falls are referenced in the novella, The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock;[2] during a dinner, Snorri expresses a preference for Gullfoss, while Dr. Gustafsson favors Glymur.<br /> Gullfoss features in the music video for the single &quot;Heaven&quot; by the band Live. During the video a young man and a young woman separated by the Hvítá river exchange written messages carried on rocks that they throw to each other over the river and the falls. At the end of the music video the young man attempts to swim across the Hvítá river downstream from the Gulfoss. His young lady friend is so horrified by seeing him being washed down the Hvítá river that she also jumps into the river in order to help him. They then float down the river holding onto each other.</p> shoot it! panorama snow water photoshop canon waterfall iceland sneeuw panoramic canon5d gullfoss waterval ijsland canon5dmarkii photoshopcs5 http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8764873284/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8764873284/" title="Iceland - Gullfoss -"><img src="http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8273/8764873284_26e36a50c1_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Iceland - Gullfoss -" /></a></p> <p>De Gullfoss is een waterval in de Hvítá (Witte rivier) in Zuid-IJsland. Het is een van de mooiste watervallen van IJsland en is gemakkelijk (per auto) te bereiken.<br /> <br /> De Gullfosskloof<br /> Het water valt in twee trappen, die min of meer haaks op elkaar staan, 32 meter naar beneden in een kloof die ook weer geheel haaks op de tweede trap staat. De trappen worden gevormd door harde lagen basalt die worden afgewisseld door zachtere materialen. Deze afzonderlijke lagen zijn ook goed in de wanden van de kloof te herkennen. De kloof is meer dan 70 meter diep, 20 meter breed en 2,5 kilometer lang. De Hvítá is een gletsjerrivier die echter ook door regen wordt gevoed en kan grote hoeveelheden water vervoeren (50–110 m³/sec in de winter tot 100–180 m³/sec 's zomers). Het in de kloof neerstortende water zorgt vrijwel altijd voor een grote hoeveelheid stuifwater dat, als de zon erop schijnt, prachtige regenbogen veroorzaakt. Daaraan dankt de Gullfoss zijn naam: Gouden waterval. Het is mogelijk om helemaal tot aan de rand van de waterval te komen waarbij het donderende geraas overweldigend is. Als het steile pad (dat alleen met een dun touwtje is afgezet) in de winter beijzeld is, kan dat echter een hachelijke onderneming zijn.<br /> Aan het begin van de 20e eeuw wilden buitenlandse investeerders de Hvítá indammen om een waterkrachtcentrale te bouwen. De eigenaars van de Gullfoss, Halldór Halldórsson en Tómas Tómasson, wilden de grond echter niet verkopen, waarna de speculanten achter hun rug om rechtstreeks en met succes zaken met de IJslandse overheid gingen doen. Tómas' dochter Sigríður Tómasdóttir zou helemaal naar Reykjavik zijn gelopen om hun zaak te bevechten. Het populaire verhaal gaat dat zij zich in de waterval zou storten als de bouw van de krachtcentrale door zou gaan. Hoewel de bouw om andere redenen nooit is begonnen, staat er wel een stenen gedenkplaat ter herinnering aan deze dochter boven aan de waterval.<br /> Op IJsland is er nog een andere waterval die Gullfoss heet.<br /> <br /> Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls) is a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The wide Hvítá rushes southward. About a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the right and flows down into a wide curved three-step &quot;staircase&quot; and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m (105 ft) deep. The crevice, about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and 2.5 km in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running over this waterfall is 140 m³/s in the summertime and 80 m³/s in the wintertime. The highest flood measured was 2000 m³/s.<br /> As one first approaches the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so that it appears that a mighty river simply vanishes into the earth.<br /> During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During this period, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson, to foreign investors. However, the investors' attempts were unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money. The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland. Even after it was sold, there were plans to utilize Hvítá, which would have changed the waterfall forever. This was not done, and now the waterfall is protected.<br /> Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson was determined to preserve the waterfall's condition and even threatened to throw herself into the waterfall. Although it is widely believed, the very popular story that Sigríður did save the waterfall from use is not true. A stone memorial to Sigriður, located above the falls, depicts her profile.[1]<br /> Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur Gullfoss forms the Golden Circle, a popular day tour for tourists in Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss appears on the cover of the album Porcupine by the British band Echo and the Bunnymen. Additionally, the falls are referenced in the novella, The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock;[2] during a dinner, Snorri expresses a preference for Gullfoss, while Dr. Gustafsson favors Glymur.<br /> Gullfoss features in the music video for the single &quot;Heaven&quot; by the band Live. During the video a young man and a young woman separated by the Hvítá river exchange written messages carried on rocks that they throw to each other over the river and the falls. At the end of the music video the young man attempts to swim across the Hvítá river downstream from the Gulfoss. His young lady friend is so horrified by seeing him being washed down the Hvítá river that she also jumps into the river in order to help him. They then float down the river holding onto each other.</p> Tue, 21 May 2013 01:27:07 -0700 2013-04-09T18:03:42-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8764873284 64.252947 -20.505981 64.252947 -20.505981 2345687 Iceland - Gullfoss - <p>De Gullfoss is een waterval in de Hvítá (Witte rivier) in Zuid-IJsland. Het is een van de mooiste watervallen van IJsland en is gemakkelijk (per auto) te bereiken.<br /> <br /> De Gullfosskloof<br /> Het water valt in twee trappen, die min of meer haaks op elkaar staan, 32 meter naar beneden in een kloof die ook weer geheel haaks op de tweede trap staat. De trappen worden gevormd door harde lagen basalt die worden afgewisseld door zachtere materialen. Deze afzonderlijke lagen zijn ook goed in de wanden van de kloof te herkennen. De kloof is meer dan 70 meter diep, 20 meter breed en 2,5 kilometer lang. De Hvítá is een gletsjerrivier die echter ook door regen wordt gevoed en kan grote hoeveelheden water vervoeren (50–110 m³/sec in de winter tot 100–180 m³/sec 's zomers). Het in de kloof neerstortende water zorgt vrijwel altijd voor een grote hoeveelheid stuifwater dat, als de zon erop schijnt, prachtige regenbogen veroorzaakt. Daaraan dankt de Gullfoss zijn naam: Gouden waterval. Het is mogelijk om helemaal tot aan de rand van de waterval te komen waarbij het donderende geraas overweldigend is. Als het steile pad (dat alleen met een dun touwtje is afgezet) in de winter beijzeld is, kan dat echter een hachelijke onderneming zijn.<br /> Aan het begin van de 20e eeuw wilden buitenlandse investeerders de Hvítá indammen om een waterkrachtcentrale te bouwen. De eigenaars van de Gullfoss, Halldór Halldórsson en Tómas Tómasson, wilden de grond echter niet verkopen, waarna de speculanten achter hun rug om rechtstreeks en met succes zaken met de IJslandse overheid gingen doen. Tómas' dochter Sigríður Tómasdóttir zou helemaal naar Reykjavik zijn gelopen om hun zaak te bevechten. Het populaire verhaal gaat dat zij zich in de waterval zou storten als de bouw van de krachtcentrale door zou gaan. Hoewel de bouw om andere redenen nooit is begonnen, staat er wel een stenen gedenkplaat ter herinnering aan deze dochter boven aan de waterval.<br /> Op IJsland is er nog een andere waterval die Gullfoss heet.<br /> <br /> Gullfoss (English: Golden Falls) is a waterfall located in the canyon of Hvítá river in southwest Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss is one of the most popular tourist attractions in the country. The wide Hvítá rushes southward. About a kilometer above the falls it turns sharply to the right and flows down into a wide curved three-step &quot;staircase&quot; and then abruptly plunges in two stages (11 m and 21 m) into a crevice 32 m (105 ft) deep. The crevice, about 20 m (60 ft) wide, and 2.5 km in length, extends perpendicular to the flow of the river. The average amount of water running over this waterfall is 140 m³/s in the summertime and 80 m³/s in the wintertime. The highest flood measured was 2000 m³/s.<br /> As one first approaches the falls, the crevice is obscured from view, so that it appears that a mighty river simply vanishes into the earth.<br /> During the first half of the 20th century and some years into the late 20th century, there was much speculation about using Gullfoss to generate electricity. During this period, the waterfall was rented indirectly by its owners, Tómas Tómasson and Halldór Halldórsson, to foreign investors. However, the investors' attempts were unsuccessful, partly due to lack of money. The waterfall was later sold to the state of Iceland. Even after it was sold, there were plans to utilize Hvítá, which would have changed the waterfall forever. This was not done, and now the waterfall is protected.<br /> Sigríður Tómasdóttir, the daughter of Tómas Tómasson was determined to preserve the waterfall's condition and even threatened to throw herself into the waterfall. Although it is widely believed, the very popular story that Sigríður did save the waterfall from use is not true. A stone memorial to Sigriður, located above the falls, depicts her profile.[1]<br /> Together with Þingvellir and the geysers of Haukadalur Gullfoss forms the Golden Circle, a popular day tour for tourists in Iceland.<br /> Gullfoss appears on the cover of the album Porcupine by the British band Echo and the Bunnymen. Additionally, the falls are referenced in the novella, The Odd Saga of the American and a Curious Icelandic Flock;[2] during a dinner, Snorri expresses a preference for Gullfoss, while Dr. Gustafsson favors Glymur.<br /> Gullfoss features in the music video for the single &quot;Heaven&quot; by the band Live. During the video a young man and a young woman separated by the Hvítá river exchange written messages carried on rocks that they throw to each other over the river and the falls. At the end of the music video the young man attempts to swim across the Hvítá river downstream from the Gulfoss. His young lady friend is so horrified by seeing him being washed down the Hvítá river that she also jumps into the river in order to help him. They then float down the river holding onto each other.</p> shoot it! snow ice nature water waterfall iceland sneeuw natuur april gullfoss waterval ijsland april2013 http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8752518261/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8752518261/" title="Iceland - Geysir -"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2855/8752518261_6792276aaa_m.jpg" width="240" height="240" alt="Iceland - Geysir -" /></a></p> <p>Geysir (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈceːisɪr̥]), sometimes known as The Great Geysir, is a geyser in southwestern Iceland. It was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. The English word geyser (a spouting hot spring) derives from Geysir. The name Geysir itself is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, &quot;to gush&quot;, the verb from Old Norse. Geysir lies in the Haukadalur valley on the slopes of Laugarfjall hill, which is also the home to Strokkur geyser about 50 metres south.<br /> Eruptions at Geysir can hurl boiling water up to 70 metres in the air. However, eruptions may be infrequent, and have in the past stopped altogether for years at a time.<br /> <br /> History<br /> <br /> The research of sinter shows that Geysir has been active for approximately 10,000 years.[1] The oldest accounts of hot springs at Haukadalur date back to 1294, when earthquakes in the area caused significant changes in local neighbouring landscape creating several new hot springs. Changes in the activity of the Geysir and the surrounding geysers are strongly related to earthquake activity. In records dated 1630 the geysers erupted so violently that the valley around them trembled. The placename &quot;Geysir&quot; has been first mentioned in written sources in 18th century and, as unusual natural phenomena were of high interest to the society during the Age of Enlightenment, the term became popular and has been used for similar hydrothermal features worldwide since then.<br /> In 1845, it reaches a height of 170 metres.[citation needed] In 1846 the research of Geysir by Robert Bunsen results with the explanation of the mechanism of geyser activity. Measurements of professor Bunsen in this year show that Geysir was erupting 43 – 54 m high.<br /> History of recent centuries shows that earthquakes have tended to revive the activity of Geysir which then subsides again in the following years. Before 1896, Geysir was almost dormant before an earthquake that year caused eruptions to begin again, occurring several times a day, lasting up to an hour and causing spouts of up to 60 metres in height. In 1910, it was active every 30 minutes; five years later the time between the eruptions was as much as six hours, and in 1916, the eruptions all but ceased. In 1935 a manmade channel was dug through the silica rim around the edge of the geyser vent. This ditch caused a lowering of the water table and a revival in activity. Gradually this channel became too clogged with silica and eruptions again became rare. In 1981 the ditch was cleared again and eruptions could be stimulated, on special occasions, by the addition of soap. Following environmental concerns the practice of adding soap was seldom employed during the 1990s. During that time Geysir seldom erupted. When it did erupt, it was spectacular, sending boiling water sometimes up to 70 metres into the air. On the Icelandic National Day authorized government geologists would force an eruption. A further earthquake in 2000 revived the geyser again and it reaches 122 meters for two days[citation, thus becoming one of the highest known geysers in history (Waimangu Geyser in New Zealand has been erupting up to 460 m high). Initially eruptions were taking place on average eight times a day. By July 2003 this activity had again decreased to around three times per day.<br /> <br /> Little Geysir<br /> The nearby geyser Strokkur erupts much more frequently than Geysir, erupting to heights of up to 30 metres every few minutes. Strokkur's activity has also been affected by earthquakes, although to a lesser extent than the Great Geysir. Due to its eruption frequency, online photos and videos of Strokkur are regularly mislabelled as depicting Geysir. There are around thirty much smaller geysers and hot pools in the area, including one called Litli Geysir ('Little Geysir').<br /> <br /> <br /> Litli Geysir, Haukadalur, Iceland<br /> Descriptions of the Great Geysir and Strokkur have been given in many travel guides to Iceland published from the 18th century onwards. Together with Þingvellir and the Gullfoss waterfall, they are part of the Golden Circle that make up the most famous tourist route in the country.<br /> <br /> Ownership of the Geysir area.<br /> Until 1894 the Geysir area was owned by a local farmer. In that year the area was sold to James Craig (later Lord Craigavon), a whiskey distiller from Ulster and a future Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Initially he erected large fences around the site and an entrance fee was charged for visitors wishing to view the geysers. The following year, however, Craig appeared to tire of his project and gave the area as a present to a friend, E. Craig, who dropped the entrance fees. Later Craig's nephew Hugh Rogers inherited the site. In 1935 he sold the site to film director Sigurður Jónasson who subsequently donated it to the Icelandic people in perpetuity.</p> Sun, 19 May 2013 01:37:47 -0700 2013-04-09T17:18:06-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8752518261 64.290505 -20.339126 64.290505 -20.339126 2345687 Iceland - Geysir - <p>Geysir (Icelandic pronunciation: [ˈceːisɪr̥]), sometimes known as The Great Geysir, is a geyser in southwestern Iceland. It was the first geyser described in a printed source and the first known to modern Europeans. The English word geyser (a spouting hot spring) derives from Geysir. The name Geysir itself is derived from the Icelandic verb geysa, &quot;to gush&quot;, the verb from Old Norse. Geysir lies in the Haukadalur valley on the slopes of Laugarfjall hill, which is also the home to Strokkur geyser about 50 metres south.<br /> Eruptions at Geysir can hurl boiling water up to 70 metres in the air. However, eruptions may be infrequent, and have in the past stopped altogether for years at a time.<br /> <br /> History<br /> <br /> The research of sinter shows that Geysir has been active for approximately 10,000 years.[1] The oldest accounts of hot springs at Haukadalur date back to 1294, when earthquakes in the area caused significant changes in local neighbouring landscape creating several new hot springs. Changes in the activity of the Geysir and the surrounding geysers are strongly related to earthquake activity. In records dated 1630 the geysers erupted so violently that the valley around them trembled. The placename &quot;Geysir&quot; has been first mentioned in written sources in 18th century and, as unusual natural phenomena were of high interest to the society during the Age of Enlightenment, the term became popular and has been used for similar hydrothermal features worldwide since then.<br /> In 1845, it reaches a height of 170 metres.[citation needed] In 1846 the research of Geysir by Robert Bunsen results with the explanation of the mechanism of geyser activity. Measurements of professor Bunsen in this year show that Geysir was erupting 43 – 54 m high.<br /> History of recent centuries shows that earthquakes have tended to revive the activity of Geysir which then subsides again in the following years. Before 1896, Geysir was almost dormant before an earthquake that year caused eruptions to begin again, occurring several times a day, lasting up to an hour and causing spouts of up to 60 metres in height. In 1910, it was active every 30 minutes; five years later the time between the eruptions was as much as six hours, and in 1916, the eruptions all but ceased. In 1935 a manmade channel was dug through the silica rim around the edge of the geyser vent. This ditch caused a lowering of the water table and a revival in activity. Gradually this channel became too clogged with silica and eruptions again became rare. In 1981 the ditch was cleared again and eruptions could be stimulated, on special occasions, by the addition of soap. Following environmental concerns the practice of adding soap was seldom employed during the 1990s. During that time Geysir seldom erupted. When it did erupt, it was spectacular, sending boiling water sometimes up to 70 metres into the air. On the Icelandic National Day authorized government geologists would force an eruption. A further earthquake in 2000 revived the geyser again and it reaches 122 meters for two days[citation, thus becoming one of the highest known geysers in history (Waimangu Geyser in New Zealand has been erupting up to 460 m high). Initially eruptions were taking place on average eight times a day. By July 2003 this activity had again decreased to around three times per day.<br /> <br /> Little Geysir<br /> The nearby geyser Strokkur erupts much more frequently than Geysir, erupting to heights of up to 30 metres every few minutes. Strokkur's activity has also been affected by earthquakes, although to a lesser extent than the Great Geysir. Due to its eruption frequency, online photos and videos of Strokkur are regularly mislabelled as depicting Geysir. There are around thirty much smaller geysers and hot pools in the area, including one called Litli Geysir ('Little Geysir').<br /> <br /> <br /> Litli Geysir, Haukadalur, Iceland<br /> Descriptions of the Great Geysir and Strokkur have been given in many travel guides to Iceland published from the 18th century onwards. Together with Þingvellir and the Gullfoss waterfall, they are part of the Golden Circle that make up the most famous tourist route in the country.<br /> <br /> Ownership of the Geysir area.<br /> Until 1894 the Geysir area was owned by a local farmer. In that year the area was sold to James Craig (later Lord Craigavon), a whiskey distiller from Ulster and a future Prime Minister of Northern Ireland. Initially he erected large fences around the site and an entrance fee was charged for visitors wishing to view the geysers. The following year, however, Craig appeared to tire of his project and gave the area as a present to a friend, E. Craig, who dropped the entrance fees. Later Craig's nephew Hugh Rogers inherited the site. In 1935 he sold the site to film director Sigurður Jónasson who subsequently donated it to the Icelandic people in perpetuity.</p> shoot it! cloud water clouds photoshop canon hotwater iceland earth wolken steam canon5d hotspring geysir eruption damp wol stoom aarde ijsland tectonicplate uitbarsting icelandgeysir canon5dmarkii photoshopcs5 ijslandgeysir http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8747139908/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8747139908/" title="Fishing on Iceland with my Dad"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7320/8747139908_7b372b0e9f_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Fishing on Iceland with my Dad" /></a></p> Thu, 16 May 2013 23:09:39 -0700 2013-04-09T16:27:52-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8747139908 63.80836 -19.453139 63.80836 -19.453139 23424845 Fishing on Iceland with my Dad shoot it! mountain snow mountains water berg iceland fishing dad sneeuw pa april vader bergen vissen zalm ijsland forel 2013 april2013 http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8733641757/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8733641757/" title="Iceland - hydrothermal vent -"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7322/8733641757_79e5125e43_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Iceland - hydrothermal vent -" /></a></p> <p>A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic bacteria and archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp.<br /> <br /> Hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean typically form along the mid-ocean ridges, such as the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These are locations where two tectonic plates are diverging and new crust is being formed.<br /> The water that issues from seafloor hydrothermal vents consists mostly of sea water drawn into the hydrothermal system close to the volcanic edifice through faults and porous sediments or volcanic strata, plus some magmatic water released by the upwelling magma. In terrestrial hydrothermal systems, the majority of water circulated within the fumarole and geyser systems is meteoric water plus ground water that has percolated down into the thermal system from the surface, but it also commonly contains some portion of metamorphic water, magmatic water, and sedimentary formational brine that is released by the magma. The proportion of each varies from location to location.<br /> In contrast to the approximately 2 °C ambient water temperature at these depths, water emerges from these vents at temperatures ranging from 60 to as high as 464 °C. Due to the high hydrostatic pressure at these depths, water may exist in either its liquid form or as a supercritical fluid at such temperatures. The critical point of (pure) water is 375 °C at a pressure of 218 atmospheres. At a depth of 3,000 meters, the hydrostatic pressure of sea water is more than 300 atmospheres (as salt water is denser than fresh water). At this depth and pressure, seawater becomes supercritical at a temperature of 407 °C. However, the increase in salinity at this depth pushes the water closer to its critical point. Thus, water emerging from the hottest parts of some hydrothermal vents can be a supercritical fluid, possessing physical properties between those of a gas and those of a liquid. Besides being superheated, the water is also extremely acidic, often having a pH value as low as 2.8 – approximately that of vinegar.<br /> <br /> Hydrothermale bron<br /> <br /> Een hydrothermale bron, ook wel hydrothermale spleet, schoorsteen of uitlaat genoemd (Engels: hydrothermal vent) is een spleet of scheur in de korst van een planeet, waaruit hydrothermale vloeistoffen naar buiten komen. Hydrothermale bronnen komen voor op plekken waar vulkanisme voorkomt, de vloeistof is warm geworden door in de buurt van magma te komen.<br /> Op aarde is de betreffende vloeistof vrijwel altijd water. Omdat de Aarde een vulkanisch en geologisch actieve planeet is, komen relatief veel hydrothermale bronnen voor. Bekende typen zijn warme bronnen, fumarolen, black smokers en geisers.<br /> De omgeving van een hydrothermale bron onder water vormt een unieke biotoop. Chemosynthetische archaea leven van de in het warme water opgeloste mineralen, en vormen de onderkant van de voedselketen. Ze vormen het voedsel voor de diepzeekokerworm (Riftia pachyptila) en verschillende soorten tweekleppigen, vissen, garnalen en octopussen. Een soort die extreem ongevoelig is voor hoge temperaturen is de Pompeiiworm, die kan leven bij 80ºC.</p> Mon, 13 May 2013 00:00:19 -0700 2013-04-09T16:40:48-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8733641757 64.040958 -20.431823 64.040958 -20.431823 2345700 Iceland - hydrothermal vent - <p>A hydrothermal vent is a fissure in a planet's surface from which geothermally heated water issues. Hydrothermal vents are commonly found near volcanically active places, areas where tectonic plates are moving apart, ocean basins, and hotspots. Hydrothermal vents exist because the earth is both geologically active and has large amounts of water on its surface and within its crust. Common land types include hot springs, fumaroles and geysers. Under the sea, hydrothermal vents may form features called black smokers. Relative to the majority of the deep sea, the areas around submarine hydrothermal vents are biologically more productive, often hosting complex communities fueled by the chemicals dissolved in the vent fluids. Chemosynthetic bacteria and archaea form the base of the food chain, supporting diverse organisms, including giant tube worms, clams, limpets and shrimp.<br /> <br /> Hydrothermal vents in the deep ocean typically form along the mid-ocean ridges, such as the East Pacific Rise and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. These are locations where two tectonic plates are diverging and new crust is being formed.<br /> The water that issues from seafloor hydrothermal vents consists mostly of sea water drawn into the hydrothermal system close to the volcanic edifice through faults and porous sediments or volcanic strata, plus some magmatic water released by the upwelling magma. In terrestrial hydrothermal systems, the majority of water circulated within the fumarole and geyser systems is meteoric water plus ground water that has percolated down into the thermal system from the surface, but it also commonly contains some portion of metamorphic water, magmatic water, and sedimentary formational brine that is released by the magma. The proportion of each varies from location to location.<br /> In contrast to the approximately 2 °C ambient water temperature at these depths, water emerges from these vents at temperatures ranging from 60 to as high as 464 °C. Due to the high hydrostatic pressure at these depths, water may exist in either its liquid form or as a supercritical fluid at such temperatures. The critical point of (pure) water is 375 °C at a pressure of 218 atmospheres. At a depth of 3,000 meters, the hydrostatic pressure of sea water is more than 300 atmospheres (as salt water is denser than fresh water). At this depth and pressure, seawater becomes supercritical at a temperature of 407 °C. However, the increase in salinity at this depth pushes the water closer to its critical point. Thus, water emerging from the hottest parts of some hydrothermal vents can be a supercritical fluid, possessing physical properties between those of a gas and those of a liquid. Besides being superheated, the water is also extremely acidic, often having a pH value as low as 2.8 – approximately that of vinegar.<br /> <br /> Hydrothermale bron<br /> <br /> Een hydrothermale bron, ook wel hydrothermale spleet, schoorsteen of uitlaat genoemd (Engels: hydrothermal vent) is een spleet of scheur in de korst van een planeet, waaruit hydrothermale vloeistoffen naar buiten komen. Hydrothermale bronnen komen voor op plekken waar vulkanisme voorkomt, de vloeistof is warm geworden door in de buurt van magma te komen.<br /> Op aarde is de betreffende vloeistof vrijwel altijd water. Omdat de Aarde een vulkanisch en geologisch actieve planeet is, komen relatief veel hydrothermale bronnen voor. Bekende typen zijn warme bronnen, fumarolen, black smokers en geisers.<br /> De omgeving van een hydrothermale bron onder water vormt een unieke biotoop. Chemosynthetische archaea leven van de in het warme water opgeloste mineralen, en vormen de onderkant van de voedselketen. Ze vormen het voedsel voor de diepzeekokerworm (Riftia pachyptila) en verschillende soorten tweekleppigen, vissen, garnalen en octopussen. Een soort die extreem ongevoelig is voor hoge temperaturen is de Pompeiiworm, die kan leven bij 80ºC.</p> shoot it! snow black water landscape vent blackwhite iceland zwartwit sneeuw surface steam april vulcan geothermal magma landschap zw hydrothermal tectonicplates vulkanisch geologisch ijsland midatlanticridge tectonicplate hydrothermalvent midoceanridge zwwit vulkanisme april2013 hydrothermaal hydrothemalebronnen hydrothemalebron http://www.flickr.com/photos/avanwijk/8729728852/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/avanwijk/">Arnold van Wijk</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/avanwijk/8729728852/" title="Eldhraun Iceland"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7312/8729728852_fa8438fbc1_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Eldhraun Iceland" /></a></p> <p>The 25 km long crater row called Lakagigar was created during a relatively short, but catastrophic eruption between the 8th of June 1783 and February 1784, considered among the biggest and most poisonous eruptions of the earth during historical times. It created two vast lava fields with a total area of 565 km² and the total volume of tephra is estimated to have been 12,3 km³. The consequences were enormous. Between 53% and 82% of the domestic animals and 20% of the human population perished as a result.<br /> <br /> As Iceland was a part of the Danish Kingdom at the time, the Danish parliament debated the evacuation of the remaining 40.000 Icelanders and relocating them to Jutland, but fortunately nothing came of that. Most of the craters are now covered with Woolly Fringe Moss and the landscape is magnificent. The crater area was proclaimed inviolate in 1971.</p> Sat, 11 May 2013 12:29:01 -0700 2013-04-16T11:43:47-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Arnold van Wijk) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8729728852 63.768528 -18.084869 63.768528 -18.084869 980280 Eldhraun Iceland <p>The 25 km long crater row called Lakagigar was created during a relatively short, but catastrophic eruption between the 8th of June 1783 and February 1784, considered among the biggest and most poisonous eruptions of the earth during historical times. It created two vast lava fields with a total area of 565 km² and the total volume of tephra is estimated to have been 12,3 km³. The consequences were enormous. Between 53% and 82% of the domestic animals and 20% of the human population perished as a result.<br /> <br /> As Iceland was a part of the Danish Kingdom at the time, the Danish parliament debated the evacuation of the remaining 40.000 Icelanders and relocating them to Jutland, but fortunately nothing came of that. Most of the craters are now covered with Woolly Fringe Moss and the landscape is magnificent. The crater area was proclaimed inviolate in 1971.</p> Arnold van Wijk nature landscape geotagged island volcano lava iceland moss isl laki suðurland ijsland kirkjubæjarklaustur eldhraun lakagigar geo:lat=6373859400 geo:lon=1818261350 http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8728727428/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8728727428/" title="Iceland - horses -"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7440/8728727428_dce71519ab_m.jpg" width="240" height="160" alt="Iceland - horses -" /></a></p> <p>The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. The Icelandic displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, canter and gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. The only breed of horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.<br /> Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history; the first reference to a named horse appears in the 12th century. Horses were venerated in Norse mythology, a custom brought to Iceland by the country's earliest settlers. Selective breeding over the centuries has developed the breed into its current form. Natural selection has also played a role, as the harsh Icelandic climate eliminated many horses through cold and starvation. In the 1780s, much of the breed was wiped out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. The first breed society for the Icelandic horse was created in Iceland in 1904, and today the breed is represented by organizations in 19 different nations, organized under a parent association, the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations.<br /> <br /> Breed characteristics<br /> Icelandic horses weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms (730 and 840 lb) and stand an average of 13 and 14 hands (52 and 56 inches, 132 and 142 cm) high, which is often considered pony size, but breeders and breed registries always refer to Icelandics as horses. Several theories have been put forward as to why Icelandics are always called horses, among them the breed's spirited temperament and large personality and the lack of a word in Icelandic for &quot;pony&quot;. Another theory suggests that the breed's weight, bone structure and weight-carrying abilities mean it can be classified as a horse, rather than a pony. The breed comes in many coat colors, including chestnut, dun, bay, black, gray, palomino, pinto and roan. There are over 100 names for various colors and color patterns in the Icelandic language. They have well-proportioned heads, with straight profiles and wide foreheads. The neck is short, muscular, and broad at the base; the withers broad and low; the chest deep; the shoulders muscular and slightly sloping; the back long; the croup broad, muscular, short and slightly sloping. The legs are strong and short, with relatively long cannon bones and short pasterns. The mane and tail are full, with coarse hair, and the tail is set low. The breed is known to be hardy and an easy keeper. The breed has a double coat developed for extra insulation in cold temperatures.<br /> <br /> Characteristics differ between various groups of Icelandic horses, depending on the focus of individual breeders. Some focus on animals for pack and draft work, which are conformationally distinct from those bred for work under saddle, which are carefully selected for their ability to perform the traditional Icelandic gaits. Others are bred solely for horsemeat. Some breeders focus on favored coat colors.<br /> Members of the breed are not usually ridden until they are four years old, and structural development is not complete until age seven. Their most productive years are between eight and eighteen, although they retain their strength and stamina into their twenties. An Icelandic mare that lived in Denmark reached a record age of 56, while another horse, living in Great Britain, reached the age of 42. The horses are highly fertile, and both sexes are fit for breeding up to age 25; mares have been recorded giving birth at age 27. The horses tend to not be easily spooked, probably the result of not having any natural predators in their native Iceland. Icelandics tend to be friendly, docile and easy to handle, although also enthusiastic and self-assured. As a result of their isolation from other horses, disease in the breed within Iceland is mostly unknown, except for some kinds of internal parasites. The low prevalence of disease in Iceland is maintained by laws preventing horses exported from the country being returned, and by requiring that all equine equipment taken into the country be either new and unused or fully disinfected. As a result, native horses have no acquired immunity to disease; an outbreak on the island would be likely to be devastating to the breed. This presents problems with showing native Icelandic horses against others of the breed from outside the country, as no livestock of any species can be imported into Iceland, and once horses leave the country they are not allowed to return.<br /> <br /> Gaits<br /> The Icelandic is a &quot;five-gaited&quot; breed, known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. As well as the typical gaits of walk, trot, and canter/gallop, the breed is noted for its ability to perform two additional gaits. Although most horse experts consider the canter and gallop to be separate gaits, on the basis of a small variation in the footfall pattern, Icelandic breed registries consider the canter and gallop one gait, hence the term &quot;five-gaited&quot;.<br /> <br /> The first additional gait is a four-beat lateral ambling gait known as the tölt. This is known for its explosive acceleration and speed; it is also comfortable and ground-covering. There is considerable variation in style within the gait, and thus the tölt is variously compared to similar lateral gaits such as the rack of the Saddlebred, the largo of the Paso Fino, or the running walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Like all lateral ambling gaits, the footfall pattern is the same as the walk (left hind, left front, right hind, right front), but differs from the walk in that it can be performed at a range of speeds, from the speed of a typical fast walk up to the speed of a normal canter. Some Icelandic horses prefer to tölt, while others prefer to trot; correct training can improve weak gaits, but the tölt is a natural gait present from birth. There are two varieties of the tölt that are considered incorrect by breeders. The first is an uneven gait called a &quot;Pig's Pace&quot; or &quot;Piggy-pace&quot; that is closer to a two-beat pace than a four-beat amble. The second is called a Valhopp and is a tölt and canter combination most often seen in untrained young horses or horses that mix their gaits. Both varieties are normally uncomfortable to ride.<br /> The breed also performs a pace called a skeið, flugskeið or &quot;flying pace&quot;. It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) Not all Icelandic horses can perform this gait; animals that perform both the tölt and the flying pace in addition to the traditional gaits are considered the best of the breed. The flying pace is a two-beat lateral gait with a moment of suspension between footfalls; each side has both feet land almost simultaneously (left hind and left front, suspension, right hind and right front). It is meant to be performed by well-trained and balanced horses with skilled riders. It is not a gait used for long-distance travel. A slow pace is uncomfortable for the rider and is not encouraged when training the horse to perform the gait. Although most pacing horses are raced in harness using sulkies, in Iceland horses are raced while ridden.<br /> <br /> History<br /> The ancestors of the Icelandic horse were probably taken to Iceland by Viking Age Scandinavians between 860 and 935 AD. The Norse settlers were followed by immigrants from Norse colonies in Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Western Isles of Scotland. These later settlers arrived with the ancestors of what would elsewhere become Shetland, Highland, and Connemara ponies, which were crossed with the previously imported animals. There may also have been a connection with the Yakut pony, and the breed has physical similarities to the Nordlandshest of Norway. Other breeds with similar characteristics include the Faroe pony of the Faeroe Islands and the Norwegian Fjord horse. About 900 years ago, attempts were made to introduce eastern blood into the Icelandic, resulting in a degeneration of the stock. In 982 AD the Icelandic Althing (parliament) passed laws prohibiting the importation of horses into Iceland, thus ending crossbreeding. The breed has now been bred pure in Iceland for more than 1,000 years.<br /> The earliest Norse people venerated the horse as a symbol of fertility, and white horses were slaughtered at sacrificial feasts and ceremonies. When these settlers arrived in Iceland, they brought their beliefs, and their horses, with them. Horses played a significant part in Norse mythology, and several horses played major roles in the Norse myths, among them the eight-footed pacer named Sleipnir, owned by Odin, chief of the Norse gods. Skalm, a mare who is the first Icelandic horse known by name, appeared in the Book of Settlements from the 12th century. According to the book, a chieftain named Seal-Thorir founded a settlement at the place where Skalm stopped and lay down with her pack. Horses also play key roles in the Icelandic sagas Hrafnkel's Saga, Njal's Saga and Grettir's Saga. Although written in the 13th century, these three sagas are set as far back as the 9th century. This early literature has an influence today, with many riding clubs and horse herds in modern Iceland still bearing the names of horses from Norse mythology.<br /> Horses were often considered the most prized possession of a medieval Icelander. Indispensable to warriors, war horses were sometimes buried alongside their fallen riders, and stories were told of their deeds. Icelanders also arranged for bloody fights between stallions; these were used for entertainment and to pick the best animals for breeding, and they were described in both literature and official records from the Commonwealth period of 930 to 1262 AD. Stallion fights were an important part of Icelandic culture, and brawls, both physical and verbal, among the spectators were common. The conflicts at the horse fights gave rivals a chance to improve their political and social standing at the expense of their enemies and had wide social and political repercussions, sometimes leading to the restructuring of political alliances. However, not all human fights were serious, and the events provided a stage for friends and even enemies to battle without the possibility of major consequences. Courting between young men and women was also common at horse fights.<br /> Natural selection played a major role in the development of the breed, as large numbers of horses died from lack of food and exposure to the elements. Between 874 and 1300 AD, during the more favorable climatic conditions of the medieval warm period, Icelandic breeders selectively bred horses according to special rules of color and conformation. From 1300 to 1900, selective breeding became less of a priority; the climate was often severe and many horses and people died. Between 1783 and 1784, around 70% of the horses in Iceland were killed by volcanic ash poisoning and starvation after the 1783 eruption of Lakagígar. The eruption lasted eight months, covered hundreds of square miles of land with lava, and rerouted or dried up several rivers. The population slowly recovered during the next hundred years, and from the beginning of the 20th century selective breeding again became important. The first Icelandic breed societies were established in 1904, and the first breed registry in Iceland was established in 1923.<br /> Icelandics were exported to Great Britain before the 20th century to work as pit ponies in the coal mines, because of their strength and small size. However, those horses were never registered and little evidence of their existence remains. The first formal exports of Icelandic horses were to Germany in the 1940s. Great Britain's first official imports were in 1956, when a Scottish farmer, Stuart McKintosh, began a breeding program. Other breeders in Great Britain followed McKintosh's lead, and the Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain was formed in 1986. The number of Icelandic horses exported to other nations has steadily increased since the first exports of the mid-19th century. Since 1969, multiple societies have worked together to preserve, improve and market these horses under the auspices of the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations. Today, the Icelandic remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline, and is the only horse breed present in Iceland.<br /> The Icelandic is especially popular in western Europe, Scandinavia, and North America. There are about 80,000 Icelandic horses in Iceland (compared to a human population of 317,000), and around 100,000 abroad. Almost 50,000 are in Germany, which has many active riding clubs and breed societies.<br /> <br /> Uses<br /> Icelandic horses still play a large part in Icelandic life, despite increasing mechanization and road improvements that diminish the necessity for the breed's use. The first official Icelandic horse race was held at Akureyri in 1874, and many races are still held throughout the country from April through June. Both gallop and pace races are held, as well as performance classes showcasing the breed's unique gaits. Winter events are often held, including races on frozen bodies of water. In 2009 such an event resulted in both horses and riders falling into the water and needing to be rescued. The first shows, focused on the quality of animals as breeding stock, were held in 1906. The Agricultural Society of Iceland, along with the National Association of Riding Clubs, now organizes regular shows with a wide variety of classes. Some horses are still bred for slaughter, and much of the meat is exported to Japan. Farmers still use the breed to round up sheep in the Icelandic highlands, but most horses are used for competition and leisure riding.<br /> <br /> <br /> IJslanders of IJslandse paarden worden al meer dan duizend jaar raszuiver gefokt.<br /> <br /> Rasomschrijving<br /> Het hoofd van de IJslander kan variëren tussen heel edel en heel groot. De hals is kort en dik. Het lichaam is gedrongen. De benen en de hoeven zijn heel sterk. Het behang (beenbeharing) behoort overvloedig aanwezig te zijn. Het gezichts- en het oriëntatievermogen zijn goed ontwikkeld. De stokmaat (schofthoogte) varieert van 1,30 tot 1,45 meter. Natuurlijk bestaan hierop uitzonderingen.<br /> <br /> Geschiedenis<br /> Toen aan het einde van de 9e eeuw de eerste inwoners op IJsland kwamen wonen, waren daar geen paarden. De Vikingen namen paarden en andere huisdieren mee uit de gebieden waar ze vandaan kwamen, vooral uit Noorwegen maar ook van de Schotse eilanden. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de paarden van de Vikingen van verschillende oorsprong waren en zelfs dat ze uit verschillende subgroepen van Equus caballus afkomstig zijn. Zo lijkt de verwantschap met Noorse paarden, oorspronkelijk afkomstig uit noordelijk Eurazië, overduidelijk. Met name is de gelijkenis met het uiterst zeldzame Nordland-paard opvallend en enkele van deze paarden schijnen ook te kunnen tölten.<br /> Ook een belangrijke voorouder van de IJslander is de Keltische pony, oorspronkelijk meegenomen door de Kelten westwaarts door Europa en dus ook naar de Britse eilanden. Verschillende paardenrassen in Groot-Brittannië stammen af van deze voorouder, zoals de Shetlanders, Exmoors en ook minder bekende rassen op de eilanden bij Schotland. Hoewel het invoeren van paarden na de 13e eeuw uiterst zeldzaam was, is er pas sinds 1882 sprake van een wettelijk invoerverbod op paarden en andere huisdieren in IJsland. Voor die tijd was er geen noodzaak om het importeren te verbieden want eeuwenlang was het eiland uiterst geïsoleerd en waren transportmiddelen zeldzaam. Het was pas in de negentiende eeuw dat IJslanders weer schepen gingen bouwen en meer contacten gingen zoeken met de buitenwereld. Hoogstwaarschijnlijk zijn er ook vanaf de twaalfde eeuw tot de negentiende eeuw geen paarden meer naar IJsland geïmporteerd. Een van de bekendste misverstanden rond de geschiedenis van het IJslandse paard is waarschijnlijk de mythe dat er al in de tijd van de Vikingen een invoerverbod op paarden naar IJsland bestond.<br /> Dat er geen invoerverbod blijkt te zijn geweest, verandert niets aan het feit dat IJslandse paarden al honderden jaren zonder bloedvermenging van buitenaf zijn gefokt. Zo komt het dat het IJslandse paard een regelrechte afstammeling is van het Europese oerpaard: Equus stenonsis. Deze paarden verspreidden zich in Scandinavië en Groot-Brittannië en kwamen uiteindelijk op IJsland terecht. De IJslanders stammen van deze paarden af. De IJslandse boeren hebben hun paarden raszuiver doorgefokt, maar ook op het continent van Europa en in de Verenigde Staten zijn er mensen die dit oeroude ras zuiver willen houden en verbeteren.<br /> Het tegenwoordige invoerverbod in IJsland geldt ook voor inheemse paarden die zijn geëxporteerd. Een IJslands paard dat bijvoorbeeld naar een kampioenschap in het buitenland is afgevaardigd, zal na afloop verkocht moeten worden door zijn ruiter, die hem niet mee terug mag nemen naar IJsland.<br /> <br /> Bijzonderheden typen<br /> De IJslander is eeuwenlang gebruikt als rijpaard en als pakpaard, onder andere voor het vervoer van de post, voor het bijeendrijven van schapen en als vervoermiddel voor de mens, maar ook - recenter - als sportpaard bij gangenwedstrijden en races. Op het Europese vasteland zijn veel van de IJslandse mogelijkheden overgenomen en elementen zijn toegevoegd. In Europa worden gangenwedstrijden gereden. Ook wordt er gereden met handpaarden en worden afstandsritten gemaakt. De IJslanders worden ook ingespannen voor de wagen en voor de slee. Hoewel er beslist vele rassen zijn die er meer talent voor hebben, kan men met een IJslander een sprongetje wagen. Het rijden van dressuur blijft de basis voor het rijden van de gangen en het beheersen van het paard in het algemeen. De IJslander is een zeer leergierig paard. Ze zijn heel vriendelijk, maar ook heel eigenwijs. Om deze reden zijn het geen echte &quot;kinderpony's&quot;. Wel zijn goed opgevoede IJslanders heel sensibel en vaak ook erg voorwaarts. Het rijden op deze paarden vraagt daarom, vooral in het begin enige begeleiding. De hulpen worden bij voorkeur licht en vriendelijk gegeven. De IJslander is in staat om van verre de weg naar huis terug te vinden.<br /> <br /> Bijzonderheden gangen<br /> In tegenstelling tot de meeste paarden, die slechts in de drie basisgangen stap, draf en galop kunnen gaan, kan een IJslander zich in vier en soms vijf verschillende gangen voortbewegen. Deze extra gangen heten tölt en telgang. Het zijn natuurlijke gangen die veulens van enkele uren oud al tonen. De IJslander is niet het enige ras dat over deze extra gangen beschikt. Vele paarden van allerlei min of meer bekende rassen bewegen zich voort in tölt en telgang. Bij IJslanders is alleen de snelle telgang, de rentelgang, gewenst. De langzame variant wordt niet gewaardeerd en wordt vaak met Schweinepass aangeduid. De gangenaanleg verschilt per paard. Er wordt gesproken van vier- of vijfgangers en natuurtölters. Viergangers zijn paarden die naast de stap, draf en galop ook kunnen tölten. Deze paarden hebben vaak de draf als voorkeursgang. Vijfgangers zijn paarden die naast de andere gangen ook over telgangaanleg beschikken. Echter, niet elke vijfganger heeft het temperament om goed te kunnen rentelgangen. Natuurtölters zijn paarden die zo gemakkelijk in tölt lopen, dat deze gang ook voor beginnende ruiters makkelijk te rijden is. Voor ruiters en hun IJslandse Paarden worden ook specifieke gangenwedstrijden uitgeschreven. Hier worden proeven uitgeschreven die plaatsvinden op een ovaalbaan. Ook zijn er snelheidsonderdelen, zoals telgangraces. De wedstrijden vinden plaats op regionale, nationale en internationale schaal. Elke twee jaar vindt er een Wereldkampioenschap voor IJslandse Paarden plaats. In 2007 werd dit WK gehouden in Nederland, in Oirschot. Het laatste WK werd in 2011 gehouden in Oostenrijk.<br /> <br /> Tölt<br /> De voetvolgorde van tölt is gelijk aan die van stap. Het verschil zit in het optillen en neerzetten van de hoeven. Gevolg hiervan is dat het paard in stap afwisselend op twee of op drie benen staat en in tölt op twee benen of op één been tegelijk steunt. Een IJslander kan in tölt verschillende tempo's lopen; dit varieert van een langzame draf tot een flinke galop. Doordat er in tölt geen zweefmoment bestaat, zoals in draf, ervaart de ruiter ook nooit (onaangename) opwaartse bewegingen en kan men ontspannen in het zadel blijven zitten. In tölt draagt het paard zijn hoofd en hals hoog. Er ontstaat een trotse beweging, versterkt door het ritmisch meedansen van de staart. Het gewicht wordt voornamelijk door de achterhand gedragen, zodat de voorbenen en schouders vrij kunnen bewegen. Bij zeer goede tölters gaat dit gepaard met een hoge knieactie. Behalve spectaculair is de tölt op de eerste plaats een comfortabele gang, zowel voor het paard als voor de ruiter. Om aan te tonen hoe rustig de ruiter in het zadel zit, wordt in tölt-demonstraties vaak met één hand gereden, met in de andere hand een vol glas bier.<br /> <br /> Telgang<br /> Telgang zien we niet alleen bij IJslanders, maar ook bij andere dieren. Zo loopt een hond aan de lijn vaak in telgang, kamelen en dromedarissen gaan uitsluitend in telgang en hetzelfde geldt voor giraffen. In tegenstelling tot de draf wordt niet het diagonale, maar het laterale benenpaar gelijktijdig opgetild. Hierdoor ontstaat voor de ruiter een heen en weer schommelende beweging. Telgang in een langzaam tempo heeft de naam 'Schweinepass' en wordt niet gewaardeerd. Alleen de echte rentelgang, waarbij hoge snelheden worden gehaald, wordt als een positieve eigenschap beschouwd. Op wedstrijden worden telgangrennen gehouden over 150 en 250 meter. Het record op 250 m staat op 21,4 seconden. Ter vergelijking: het galoprecord over 250 m is 17,3 seconden. De snelste hengst aller tijden in rentelgang is: Trausti van Hall. Tijd op 250 meter: 21,7 seconden. De kwaliteit van de gangen van een IJslands paard hangt af van de erfelijke aanleg, de bouw en de training. Sommige IJslanders hebben duidelijk meer 'laterale aanleg' dan andere: er zijn IJslanders die uit zichzelf niet in draf gaan maar alleen in tölt (natuurtölters genoemd) of, vaak minder gewenst, alleen in een langzame telgang. Met behulp van bepaalde trainingsmethoden of hulpmiddelen kunnen de gangen die het paard niet vanzelf aanbiedt, vaak alsnog ontwikkeld worden. Helaas blijven er dan altijd nog enkele paarden over die de IJslandse gangen niet beheersen. Deze dieren worden voor de fokkerij zo veel mogelijk uitgesloten, want de specifieke IJslandse gangen willen we in dit ras behouden. Juist de IJslandse gangen geven immers een extra dimensie aan het houden en rijden van IJslandse paarden. Als er wedstrijden op het ijs worden gereden dan krijgt de IJslander speciale nageltjes onder zijn hoefijzers. Ze rijden de wedstrijden ook in de tölt.<br /> <br /> Kleur<br /> Binnen het ras zijn alle kleuren vertegenwoordigd, behalve appaloosa (stippels). Witte aftekeningen zijn toegestaan. Binnen de IJslanderpopulatie zien we ook kleuren die niet bij de paarden van het Europese vasteland voorkomen zoals; zilverappel, isabel en wildkleur.</p> Sat, 11 May 2013 05:26:47 -0700 2013-04-09T16:24:32-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8728727428 64.267857 -20.390625 64.267857 -20.390625 2345687 Iceland - horses - <p>The Icelandic horse is a breed of horse developed in Iceland. Although the horses are small, at times pony-sized, most registries for the Icelandic refer to it as a horse. Icelandic horses are long-lived and hardy. In their native country they have few diseases; Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return. The Icelandic displays two gaits in addition to the typical walk, trot, canter and gallop commonly displayed by other breeds. The only breed of horse in Iceland, they are also popular internationally, and sizable populations exist in Europe and North America. The breed is still used for traditional farm work in its native country, as well as for leisure, showing, and racing.<br /> Developed from ponies taken to Iceland by Scandinavian settlers in the 9th and 10th centuries, the breed is mentioned in literature and historical records throughout Icelandic history; the first reference to a named horse appears in the 12th century. Horses were venerated in Norse mythology, a custom brought to Iceland by the country's earliest settlers. Selective breeding over the centuries has developed the breed into its current form. Natural selection has also played a role, as the harsh Icelandic climate eliminated many horses through cold and starvation. In the 1780s, much of the breed was wiped out in the aftermath of a volcanic eruption. The first breed society for the Icelandic horse was created in Iceland in 1904, and today the breed is represented by organizations in 19 different nations, organized under a parent association, the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations.<br /> <br /> Breed characteristics<br /> Icelandic horses weigh between 330 and 380 kilograms (730 and 840 lb) and stand an average of 13 and 14 hands (52 and 56 inches, 132 and 142 cm) high, which is often considered pony size, but breeders and breed registries always refer to Icelandics as horses. Several theories have been put forward as to why Icelandics are always called horses, among them the breed's spirited temperament and large personality and the lack of a word in Icelandic for &quot;pony&quot;. Another theory suggests that the breed's weight, bone structure and weight-carrying abilities mean it can be classified as a horse, rather than a pony. The breed comes in many coat colors, including chestnut, dun, bay, black, gray, palomino, pinto and roan. There are over 100 names for various colors and color patterns in the Icelandic language. They have well-proportioned heads, with straight profiles and wide foreheads. The neck is short, muscular, and broad at the base; the withers broad and low; the chest deep; the shoulders muscular and slightly sloping; the back long; the croup broad, muscular, short and slightly sloping. The legs are strong and short, with relatively long cannon bones and short pasterns. The mane and tail are full, with coarse hair, and the tail is set low. The breed is known to be hardy and an easy keeper. The breed has a double coat developed for extra insulation in cold temperatures.<br /> <br /> Characteristics differ between various groups of Icelandic horses, depending on the focus of individual breeders. Some focus on animals for pack and draft work, which are conformationally distinct from those bred for work under saddle, which are carefully selected for their ability to perform the traditional Icelandic gaits. Others are bred solely for horsemeat. Some breeders focus on favored coat colors.<br /> Members of the breed are not usually ridden until they are four years old, and structural development is not complete until age seven. Their most productive years are between eight and eighteen, although they retain their strength and stamina into their twenties. An Icelandic mare that lived in Denmark reached a record age of 56, while another horse, living in Great Britain, reached the age of 42. The horses are highly fertile, and both sexes are fit for breeding up to age 25; mares have been recorded giving birth at age 27. The horses tend to not be easily spooked, probably the result of not having any natural predators in their native Iceland. Icelandics tend to be friendly, docile and easy to handle, although also enthusiastic and self-assured. As a result of their isolation from other horses, disease in the breed within Iceland is mostly unknown, except for some kinds of internal parasites. The low prevalence of disease in Iceland is maintained by laws preventing horses exported from the country being returned, and by requiring that all equine equipment taken into the country be either new and unused or fully disinfected. As a result, native horses have no acquired immunity to disease; an outbreak on the island would be likely to be devastating to the breed. This presents problems with showing native Icelandic horses against others of the breed from outside the country, as no livestock of any species can be imported into Iceland, and once horses leave the country they are not allowed to return.<br /> <br /> Gaits<br /> The Icelandic is a &quot;five-gaited&quot; breed, known for its sure-footedness and ability to cross rough terrain. As well as the typical gaits of walk, trot, and canter/gallop, the breed is noted for its ability to perform two additional gaits. Although most horse experts consider the canter and gallop to be separate gaits, on the basis of a small variation in the footfall pattern, Icelandic breed registries consider the canter and gallop one gait, hence the term &quot;five-gaited&quot;.<br /> <br /> The first additional gait is a four-beat lateral ambling gait known as the tölt. This is known for its explosive acceleration and speed; it is also comfortable and ground-covering. There is considerable variation in style within the gait, and thus the tölt is variously compared to similar lateral gaits such as the rack of the Saddlebred, the largo of the Paso Fino, or the running walk of the Tennessee Walking Horse. Like all lateral ambling gaits, the footfall pattern is the same as the walk (left hind, left front, right hind, right front), but differs from the walk in that it can be performed at a range of speeds, from the speed of a typical fast walk up to the speed of a normal canter. Some Icelandic horses prefer to tölt, while others prefer to trot; correct training can improve weak gaits, but the tölt is a natural gait present from birth. There are two varieties of the tölt that are considered incorrect by breeders. The first is an uneven gait called a &quot;Pig's Pace&quot; or &quot;Piggy-pace&quot; that is closer to a two-beat pace than a four-beat amble. The second is called a Valhopp and is a tölt and canter combination most often seen in untrained young horses or horses that mix their gaits. Both varieties are normally uncomfortable to ride.<br /> The breed also performs a pace called a skeið, flugskeið or &quot;flying pace&quot;. It is used in pacing races, and is fast and smooth, with some horses able to reach up to 30 miles per hour (48 km/h) Not all Icelandic horses can perform this gait; animals that perform both the tölt and the flying pace in addition to the traditional gaits are considered the best of the breed. The flying pace is a two-beat lateral gait with a moment of suspension between footfalls; each side has both feet land almost simultaneously (left hind and left front, suspension, right hind and right front). It is meant to be performed by well-trained and balanced horses with skilled riders. It is not a gait used for long-distance travel. A slow pace is uncomfortable for the rider and is not encouraged when training the horse to perform the gait. Although most pacing horses are raced in harness using sulkies, in Iceland horses are raced while ridden.<br /> <br /> History<br /> The ancestors of the Icelandic horse were probably taken to Iceland by Viking Age Scandinavians between 860 and 935 AD. The Norse settlers were followed by immigrants from Norse colonies in Ireland, the Isle of Man and the Western Isles of Scotland. These later settlers arrived with the ancestors of what would elsewhere become Shetland, Highland, and Connemara ponies, which were crossed with the previously imported animals. There may also have been a connection with the Yakut pony, and the breed has physical similarities to the Nordlandshest of Norway. Other breeds with similar characteristics include the Faroe pony of the Faeroe Islands and the Norwegian Fjord horse. About 900 years ago, attempts were made to introduce eastern blood into the Icelandic, resulting in a degeneration of the stock. In 982 AD the Icelandic Althing (parliament) passed laws prohibiting the importation of horses into Iceland, thus ending crossbreeding. The breed has now been bred pure in Iceland for more than 1,000 years.<br /> The earliest Norse people venerated the horse as a symbol of fertility, and white horses were slaughtered at sacrificial feasts and ceremonies. When these settlers arrived in Iceland, they brought their beliefs, and their horses, with them. Horses played a significant part in Norse mythology, and several horses played major roles in the Norse myths, among them the eight-footed pacer named Sleipnir, owned by Odin, chief of the Norse gods. Skalm, a mare who is the first Icelandic horse known by name, appeared in the Book of Settlements from the 12th century. According to the book, a chieftain named Seal-Thorir founded a settlement at the place where Skalm stopped and lay down with her pack. Horses also play key roles in the Icelandic sagas Hrafnkel's Saga, Njal's Saga and Grettir's Saga. Although written in the 13th century, these three sagas are set as far back as the 9th century. This early literature has an influence today, with many riding clubs and horse herds in modern Iceland still bearing the names of horses from Norse mythology.<br /> Horses were often considered the most prized possession of a medieval Icelander. Indispensable to warriors, war horses were sometimes buried alongside their fallen riders, and stories were told of their deeds. Icelanders also arranged for bloody fights between stallions; these were used for entertainment and to pick the best animals for breeding, and they were described in both literature and official records from the Commonwealth period of 930 to 1262 AD. Stallion fights were an important part of Icelandic culture, and brawls, both physical and verbal, among the spectators were common. The conflicts at the horse fights gave rivals a chance to improve their political and social standing at the expense of their enemies and had wide social and political repercussions, sometimes leading to the restructuring of political alliances. However, not all human fights were serious, and the events provided a stage for friends and even enemies to battle without the possibility of major consequences. Courting between young men and women was also common at horse fights.<br /> Natural selection played a major role in the development of the breed, as large numbers of horses died from lack of food and exposure to the elements. Between 874 and 1300 AD, during the more favorable climatic conditions of the medieval warm period, Icelandic breeders selectively bred horses according to special rules of color and conformation. From 1300 to 1900, selective breeding became less of a priority; the climate was often severe and many horses and people died. Between 1783 and 1784, around 70% of the horses in Iceland were killed by volcanic ash poisoning and starvation after the 1783 eruption of Lakagígar. The eruption lasted eight months, covered hundreds of square miles of land with lava, and rerouted or dried up several rivers. The population slowly recovered during the next hundred years, and from the beginning of the 20th century selective breeding again became important. The first Icelandic breed societies were established in 1904, and the first breed registry in Iceland was established in 1923.<br /> Icelandics were exported to Great Britain before the 20th century to work as pit ponies in the coal mines, because of their strength and small size. However, those horses were never registered and little evidence of their existence remains. The first formal exports of Icelandic horses were to Germany in the 1940s. Great Britain's first official imports were in 1956, when a Scottish farmer, Stuart McKintosh, began a breeding program. Other breeders in Great Britain followed McKintosh's lead, and the Icelandic Horse Society of Great Britain was formed in 1986. The number of Icelandic horses exported to other nations has steadily increased since the first exports of the mid-19th century. Since 1969, multiple societies have worked together to preserve, improve and market these horses under the auspices of the International Federation of Icelandic Horse Associations. Today, the Icelandic remains a breed known for its purity of bloodline, and is the only horse breed present in Iceland.<br /> The Icelandic is especially popular in western Europe, Scandinavia, and North America. There are about 80,000 Icelandic horses in Iceland (compared to a human population of 317,000), and around 100,000 abroad. Almost 50,000 are in Germany, which has many active riding clubs and breed societies.<br /> <br /> Uses<br /> Icelandic horses still play a large part in Icelandic life, despite increasing mechanization and road improvements that diminish the necessity for the breed's use. The first official Icelandic horse race was held at Akureyri in 1874, and many races are still held throughout the country from April through June. Both gallop and pace races are held, as well as performance classes showcasing the breed's unique gaits. Winter events are often held, including races on frozen bodies of water. In 2009 such an event resulted in both horses and riders falling into the water and needing to be rescued. The first shows, focused on the quality of animals as breeding stock, were held in 1906. The Agricultural Society of Iceland, along with the National Association of Riding Clubs, now organizes regular shows with a wide variety of classes. Some horses are still bred for slaughter, and much of the meat is exported to Japan. Farmers still use the breed to round up sheep in the Icelandic highlands, but most horses are used for competition and leisure riding.<br /> <br /> <br /> IJslanders of IJslandse paarden worden al meer dan duizend jaar raszuiver gefokt.<br /> <br /> Rasomschrijving<br /> Het hoofd van de IJslander kan variëren tussen heel edel en heel groot. De hals is kort en dik. Het lichaam is gedrongen. De benen en de hoeven zijn heel sterk. Het behang (beenbeharing) behoort overvloedig aanwezig te zijn. Het gezichts- en het oriëntatievermogen zijn goed ontwikkeld. De stokmaat (schofthoogte) varieert van 1,30 tot 1,45 meter. Natuurlijk bestaan hierop uitzonderingen.<br /> <br /> Geschiedenis<br /> Toen aan het einde van de 9e eeuw de eerste inwoners op IJsland kwamen wonen, waren daar geen paarden. De Vikingen namen paarden en andere huisdieren mee uit de gebieden waar ze vandaan kwamen, vooral uit Noorwegen maar ook van de Schotse eilanden. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat de paarden van de Vikingen van verschillende oorsprong waren en zelfs dat ze uit verschillende subgroepen van Equus caballus afkomstig zijn. Zo lijkt de verwantschap met Noorse paarden, oorspronkelijk afkomstig uit noordelijk Eurazië, overduidelijk. Met name is de gelijkenis met het uiterst zeldzame Nordland-paard opvallend en enkele van deze paarden schijnen ook te kunnen tölten.<br /> Ook een belangrijke voorouder van de IJslander is de Keltische pony, oorspronkelijk meegenomen door de Kelten westwaarts door Europa en dus ook naar de Britse eilanden. Verschillende paardenrassen in Groot-Brittannië stammen af van deze voorouder, zoals de Shetlanders, Exmoors en ook minder bekende rassen op de eilanden bij Schotland. Hoewel het invoeren van paarden na de 13e eeuw uiterst zeldzaam was, is er pas sinds 1882 sprake van een wettelijk invoerverbod op paarden en andere huisdieren in IJsland. Voor die tijd was er geen noodzaak om het importeren te verbieden want eeuwenlang was het eiland uiterst geïsoleerd en waren transportmiddelen zeldzaam. Het was pas in de negentiende eeuw dat IJslanders weer schepen gingen bouwen en meer contacten gingen zoeken met de buitenwereld. Hoogstwaarschijnlijk zijn er ook vanaf de twaalfde eeuw tot de negentiende eeuw geen paarden meer naar IJsland geïmporteerd. Een van de bekendste misverstanden rond de geschiedenis van het IJslandse paard is waarschijnlijk de mythe dat er al in de tijd van de Vikingen een invoerverbod op paarden naar IJsland bestond.<br /> Dat er geen invoerverbod blijkt te zijn geweest, verandert niets aan het feit dat IJslandse paarden al honderden jaren zonder bloedvermenging van buitenaf zijn gefokt. Zo komt het dat het IJslandse paard een regelrechte afstammeling is van het Europese oerpaard: Equus stenonsis. Deze paarden verspreidden zich in Scandinavië en Groot-Brittannië en kwamen uiteindelijk op IJsland terecht. De IJslanders stammen van deze paarden af. De IJslandse boeren hebben hun paarden raszuiver doorgefokt, maar ook op het continent van Europa en in de Verenigde Staten zijn er mensen die dit oeroude ras zuiver willen houden en verbeteren.<br /> Het tegenwoordige invoerverbod in IJsland geldt ook voor inheemse paarden die zijn geëxporteerd. Een IJslands paard dat bijvoorbeeld naar een kampioenschap in het buitenland is afgevaardigd, zal na afloop verkocht moeten worden door zijn ruiter, die hem niet mee terug mag nemen naar IJsland.<br /> <br /> Bijzonderheden typen<br /> De IJslander is eeuwenlang gebruikt als rijpaard en als pakpaard, onder andere voor het vervoer van de post, voor het bijeendrijven van schapen en als vervoermiddel voor de mens, maar ook - recenter - als sportpaard bij gangenwedstrijden en races. Op het Europese vasteland zijn veel van de IJslandse mogelijkheden overgenomen en elementen zijn toegevoegd. In Europa worden gangenwedstrijden gereden. Ook wordt er gereden met handpaarden en worden afstandsritten gemaakt. De IJslanders worden ook ingespannen voor de wagen en voor de slee. Hoewel er beslist vele rassen zijn die er meer talent voor hebben, kan men met een IJslander een sprongetje wagen. Het rijden van dressuur blijft de basis voor het rijden van de gangen en het beheersen van het paard in het algemeen. De IJslander is een zeer leergierig paard. Ze zijn heel vriendelijk, maar ook heel eigenwijs. Om deze reden zijn het geen echte &quot;kinderpony's&quot;. Wel zijn goed opgevoede IJslanders heel sensibel en vaak ook erg voorwaarts. Het rijden op deze paarden vraagt daarom, vooral in het begin enige begeleiding. De hulpen worden bij voorkeur licht en vriendelijk gegeven. De IJslander is in staat om van verre de weg naar huis terug te vinden.<br /> <br /> Bijzonderheden gangen<br /> In tegenstelling tot de meeste paarden, die slechts in de drie basisgangen stap, draf en galop kunnen gaan, kan een IJslander zich in vier en soms vijf verschillende gangen voortbewegen. Deze extra gangen heten tölt en telgang. Het zijn natuurlijke gangen die veulens van enkele uren oud al tonen. De IJslander is niet het enige ras dat over deze extra gangen beschikt. Vele paarden van allerlei min of meer bekende rassen bewegen zich voort in tölt en telgang. Bij IJslanders is alleen de snelle telgang, de rentelgang, gewenst. De langzame variant wordt niet gewaardeerd en wordt vaak met Schweinepass aangeduid. De gangenaanleg verschilt per paard. Er wordt gesproken van vier- of vijfgangers en natuurtölters. Viergangers zijn paarden die naast de stap, draf en galop ook kunnen tölten. Deze paarden hebben vaak de draf als voorkeursgang. Vijfgangers zijn paarden die naast de andere gangen ook over telgangaanleg beschikken. Echter, niet elke vijfganger heeft het temperament om goed te kunnen rentelgangen. Natuurtölters zijn paarden die zo gemakkelijk in tölt lopen, dat deze gang ook voor beginnende ruiters makkelijk te rijden is. Voor ruiters en hun IJslandse Paarden worden ook specifieke gangenwedstrijden uitgeschreven. Hier worden proeven uitgeschreven die plaatsvinden op een ovaalbaan. Ook zijn er snelheidsonderdelen, zoals telgangraces. De wedstrijden vinden plaats op regionale, nationale en internationale schaal. Elke twee jaar vindt er een Wereldkampioenschap voor IJslandse Paarden plaats. In 2007 werd dit WK gehouden in Nederland, in Oirschot. Het laatste WK werd in 2011 gehouden in Oostenrijk.<br /> <br /> Tölt<br /> De voetvolgorde van tölt is gelijk aan die van stap. Het verschil zit in het optillen en neerzetten van de hoeven. Gevolg hiervan is dat het paard in stap afwisselend op twee of op drie benen staat en in tölt op twee benen of op één been tegelijk steunt. Een IJslander kan in tölt verschillende tempo's lopen; dit varieert van een langzame draf tot een flinke galop. Doordat er in tölt geen zweefmoment bestaat, zoals in draf, ervaart de ruiter ook nooit (onaangename) opwaartse bewegingen en kan men ontspannen in het zadel blijven zitten. In tölt draagt het paard zijn hoofd en hals hoog. Er ontstaat een trotse beweging, versterkt door het ritmisch meedansen van de staart. Het gewicht wordt voornamelijk door de achterhand gedragen, zodat de voorbenen en schouders vrij kunnen bewegen. Bij zeer goede tölters gaat dit gepaard met een hoge knieactie. Behalve spectaculair is de tölt op de eerste plaats een comfortabele gang, zowel voor het paard als voor de ruiter. Om aan te tonen hoe rustig de ruiter in het zadel zit, wordt in tölt-demonstraties vaak met één hand gereden, met in de andere hand een vol glas bier.<br /> <br /> Telgang<br /> Telgang zien we niet alleen bij IJslanders, maar ook bij andere dieren. Zo loopt een hond aan de lijn vaak in telgang, kamelen en dromedarissen gaan uitsluitend in telgang en hetzelfde geldt voor giraffen. In tegenstelling tot de draf wordt niet het diagonale, maar het laterale benenpaar gelijktijdig opgetild. Hierdoor ontstaat voor de ruiter een heen en weer schommelende beweging. Telgang in een langzaam tempo heeft de naam 'Schweinepass' en wordt niet gewaardeerd. Alleen de echte rentelgang, waarbij hoge snelheden worden gehaald, wordt als een positieve eigenschap beschouwd. Op wedstrijden worden telgangrennen gehouden over 150 en 250 meter. Het record op 250 m staat op 21,4 seconden. Ter vergelijking: het galoprecord over 250 m is 17,3 seconden. De snelste hengst aller tijden in rentelgang is: Trausti van Hall. Tijd op 250 meter: 21,7 seconden. De kwaliteit van de gangen van een IJslands paard hangt af van de erfelijke aanleg, de bouw en de training. Sommige IJslanders hebben duidelijk meer 'laterale aanleg' dan andere: er zijn IJslanders die uit zichzelf niet in draf gaan maar alleen in tölt (natuurtölters genoemd) of, vaak minder gewenst, alleen in een langzame telgang. Met behulp van bepaalde trainingsmethoden of hulpmiddelen kunnen de gangen die het paard niet vanzelf aanbiedt, vaak alsnog ontwikkeld worden. Helaas blijven er dan altijd nog enkele paarden over die de IJslandse gangen niet beheersen. Deze dieren worden voor de fokkerij zo veel mogelijk uitgesloten, want de specifieke IJslandse gangen willen we in dit ras behouden. Juist de IJslandse gangen geven immers een extra dimensie aan het houden en rijden van IJslandse paarden. Als er wedstrijden op het ijs worden gereden dan krijgt de IJslander speciale nageltjes onder zijn hoefijzers. Ze rijden de wedstrijden ook in de tölt.<br /> <br /> Kleur<br /> Binnen het ras zijn alle kleuren vertegenwoordigd, behalve appaloosa (stippels). Witte aftekeningen zijn toegestaan. Binnen de IJslanderpopulatie zien we ook kleuren die niet bij de paarden van het Europese vasteland voorkomen zoals; zilverappel, isabel en wildkleur.</p> shoot it! horses landscape iceland pony april landschap paard paarden hors ijsland icelandichorses icelandiclandscape ijslandsepaarden april2013 ijslandslandschap http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8724614655/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/struijlaart/">shoot it!</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/struijlaart/8724614655/" title="Iceland - Þingvellir -"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7308/8724614655_1d9608e6f4_m.jpg" width="240" height="165" alt="Iceland - Þingvellir -" /></a></p> <p>4 photo panorama - Photoshop CS5 -<br /> Nationaal Park Þingvellir<br /> <br /> UNESCO-werelderfgoedlijst<br /> <br /> Mid-Atlantic Ridge<br /> <br /> The ridge was central in the breakup of the hypothetical Pangaea that began some 180 million years ago.<br /> <br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland<br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South American Plate in the South Atlantic. The Ridge extends from a junction with the Gakkel Ridge (Mid-Arctic Ridge) northeast of Greenland southward to the Bouvet Triple Junction in the South Atlantic. Although the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is mostly an underwater feature, portions of it have enough elevation to extend above sea level. The section of the ridge which includes the island of Iceland is also known as the Reykjanes Ridge. The average spreading rate for the ridge is about 2.5 cm per year.<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics<br /> The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century.<br /> Remnants of the Farallon Plate, deep in Earth's mantle. It is thought that much of the plate initially went under North America (particularly the western United States and southwest Canada) at a very shallow angle, creating much of the mountainous terrain in the area (particularly the southern Rocky Mountains).<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motions of Earth's lithosphere. The model builds on the concepts of continental drift, developed during the first decades of the 20th century. It was accepted by the geoscientific community after the concepts of seafloor spreading were developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<br /> The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates. On Earth, there are seven or eight major plates (depending on how they are defined) and many minor plates. Where plates meet, their relative motion determines the type of boundary: convergent, divergent, or transform. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries. The lateral relative movement of the plates typically varies from zero to 100 mm annually.<br /> Tectonic plates are composed of oceanic lithosphere and thicker continental lithosphere, each topped by its own kind of crust. Along convergent boundaries, subduction carries plates into the mantle; the material lost is roughly balanced by the formation of new (oceanic) crust along divergent margins by seafloor spreading. In this way, the total surface of the globe remains the same. This prediction of plate tectonics is also referred to as the conveyor belt principle. Earlier theories (that still have some supporters) proposed gradual shrinking (contraction) or gradual expansion of the globe.<br /> Tectonic plates are able to move because the Earth's lithosphere has a higher strength and lower density than the underlying asthenosphere. Lateral density variations in the mantle result in convection. Plate movement is thought to be driven by a combination of the motion of the seafloor away from the spreading ridge (due to variations in topography and density of the crust, which result in differences in gravitational forces) and drag, downward suction, at the subduction zones. Another explanation lies in the different forces generated by the rotation of the globe and the tidal forces of the Sun and the Moon. The relative importance of each of these factors is unclear, and is still subject to debate.<br /> <br /> Continental Drift.<br /> <br /> Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other by appearing to drift across the ocean bed. The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. The concept was independently (and more fully) developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. The theory of continental drift was superseded by the theory of plate tectonics, which builds upon and better explains why the continents move.<br /> <br /> North Amercan Plate<br /> <br /> The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Iceland and the Azores. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust. The interior of the main continental landmass includes an extensive granitic core called a craton. Along most of the edges of this craton are fragments of crustal material called terranes, accreted to the craton by tectonic actions over the long span of geologic time. It is believed that much of North America west of the Rockies is composed of such terranes.<br /> <br /> Geographic extent<br /> The easterly side of the North American Plate is a divergent boundary with the Eurasian Plate to the north and the African Plate to the south forming the northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The southerly boundary with the Cocos Plate to the west and the Caribbean Plate to the east is a transform fault, represented by the Cayman Trench under the Caribbean Sea and the Motagua Fault through Guatemala. The parallel Septentrional and Enriquillo-Plantain Garden faults, which run through the island of Hispaniola and bound the Gonâve Microplate, are also a part of the boundary. The rest of the southerly margin which extends east to the Mid Atlantic Ridge and marks the boundary between the North American Plate and the South American Plate remains poorly understood and undefined.<br /> On the northerly boundary is a continuation of the Mid-Atlantic ridge called the Gakkel Ridge. The rest of the boundary in the far northwestern part of the plate extends into Siberia. This boundary continues from the end of the Gakkel Ridge as the Laptev Sea Rift, on to a transitional deformation zone in the Chersky Range, then the Ulakhan Fault between it and the Okhotsk Plate, and finally the Aleutian Trench to the end of the Queen Charlotte Fault system.<br /> The westerly boundary is the Queen Charlotte Fault running offshore along the coast of Alaska and the Cascadia subduction zone to the north, the San Andreas Fault through California, the East Pacific Rise in the Gulf of California, and the Middle America Trench to the south.<br /> On its western edge the Farallon Plate has been subducting under the North American Plate since the Jurassic Period. The Farallon Plate has almost completely subducted beneath the western portion of the North American Plate leaving that part of the North American Plate in contact with the Pacific Plate as the San Andreas Fault. The Juan de Fuca, Explorer, Gorda, Cocos and Nazca Plates are remnants of the Farallon Plate.<br /> The boundary along the Gulf of California is complex. The Gulf is underlain by the Gulf of California Rift Zone, a series of rift basins and transform fault segments between the northern end of the East Pacific Rise in the mouth of the gulf to the San Andreas Fault system in the vicinity of the Salton Trough rift/Brawley seismic zone.<br /> It is generally accepted that a piece of the North American Plate was broken off and transported north as the East Pacific Rise propagated northward, creating the Gulf of California. However, it is as yet unclear whether the oceanic crust east of the Rise and west of the mainland coast of Mexico is actually a new plate beginning to converge with the North American Plate, consistent with the standard model of rift zone spreading centers generally.[citation needed]<br /> <br /> Hotspots<br /> A few hotspots are thought to exist below the North American Plate. The most notable hotspots are the Yellowstone (Wyoming), Raton (New Mexico), and Anahim (British Columbia) hotspots. These are thought to be caused by a narrow stream of hot mantle convecting up the Earth's core-mantle boundary called a mantle plume,[3] although some geologists prefer upper-mantle convection as a cause.[4][5] The Yellowstone and Anahim hotspots are thought to have first arrived during the Miocene period and are still geologically active, creating earthquakes and volcanoes. The Yellowstone hotspot is most notable for the Yellowstone Caldera and the many calderas that lie in the Snake River Plain while the Anahim hotspot is most notable for the Anahim Volcanic Belt, currently found in the Nazko Cone area.<br /> <br /> Plate motion<br /> For the most part, the North American Plate moves in roughly a southwest direction away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The motion of the plate cannot be driven by subduction as no part of the North American Plate is being subducted, except for a small section comprising part of the Puerto Rico Trench; thus other mechanisms continue to be investigated.<br /> One recent study suggests that a mantle convective current is propelling the plate.[6<br /> <br /> <br /> Overzicht over Þingvellir<br /> Þingvellir is een van de drie nationale parken in IJsland. Het ligt ongeveer 50 km ten oosten van de hoofdstad Reykjavik en is een 6 bij 40 km grote verzakking van de aarde.<br /> <br /> Geologie<br /> De nakomelingen van Arnarson kozen Þingvellir niet bij toeval uit. De plaats werd uitgekozen door de aanwezigheid van een groot fissuur in de aarde, de Almannagjá (alle-mensen-kloof) boven een grote vlakte, die ruimte aan vele tienduizenden mensen kon bieden, een waterval en de Öxará (bijlrivier), en de aanwezigheid van een meer, het Þingvallavatn, die vers water en volop vis leverde. De Almannagjá fungeerde als een echomuur waardoor er een optimale akoestiek voor de toehoorders in het open veld was. Op deze plek is de Midden-Atlantische Rug heel duidelijk zichtbaar.<br /> Het gebied is de scheidingslijn tussen het Noord-Amerikaanse (ten noordwesten van de kloof) en het Europese (ten zuidoosten van de vlakte) continent, met de vlakte zelf als scheiding. Op deze plaats drijft IJsland door tectonische bewegingen schoksgewijs met een gemiddelde snelheid van 1 à 2 cm per jaar uit elkaar, waar diverse fenomenen van getuigen: diepe kloven gevuld met zeer koud en helder water gevoed vanuit ondergrondse waterbronnen, kloven, barsten, watervallen, verzakkingen en breukvlakken. Een aanzienlijk gedeelte van de vlakte is bedekt met lava van de nabij gelegen schildvulkaan Skjaldbreiður, die 9000 jaar geleden nog actief was. Het is ook deze lava geweest die de waterafvloed van het gebied blokkeerde waardoor het Þingvallavatn kon ontstaan. De Almannagjá kloof is ontstaan doordat er een grote aardverzakking heeft plaatsgevonden waarbij de grond over een lengte van zo'n 16 km plaatselijk 30 tot 40 meter daalde. De laatste aardverzakking vond in 1789 plaats waar de vlakte na een aardbeving in 10 dagen tijd met 60 cm daalde.</p> Fri, 10 May 2013 01:26:17 -0700 2013-04-09T15:52:25-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (shoot it!) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8724614655 64.230903 -21.051263 64.230903 -21.051263 2345687 Iceland - Þingvellir - <p>4 photo panorama - Photoshop CS5 -<br /> Nationaal Park Þingvellir<br /> <br /> UNESCO-werelderfgoedlijst<br /> <br /> Mid-Atlantic Ridge<br /> <br /> The ridge was central in the breakup of the hypothetical Pangaea that began some 180 million years ago.<br /> <br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge in Iceland<br /> The Mid-Atlantic Ridge (MAR) is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South American Plate in the South Atlantic. The Ridge extends from a junction with the Gakkel Ridge (Mid-Arctic Ridge) northeast of Greenland southward to the Bouvet Triple Junction in the South Atlantic. Although the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is mostly an underwater feature, portions of it have enough elevation to extend above sea level. The section of the ridge which includes the island of Iceland is also known as the Reykjanes Ridge. The average spreading rate for the ridge is about 2.5 cm per year.<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics<br /> The tectonic plates of the world were mapped in the second half of the 20th century.<br /> Remnants of the Farallon Plate, deep in Earth's mantle. It is thought that much of the plate initially went under North America (particularly the western United States and southwest Canada) at a very shallow angle, creating much of the mountainous terrain in the area (particularly the southern Rocky Mountains).<br /> <br /> Plate tectonics is a scientific theory that describes the large-scale motions of Earth's lithosphere. The model builds on the concepts of continental drift, developed during the first decades of the 20th century. It was accepted by the geoscientific community after the concepts of seafloor spreading were developed in the late 1950s and early 1960s.<br /> The lithosphere is broken up into tectonic plates. On Earth, there are seven or eight major plates (depending on how they are defined) and many minor plates. Where plates meet, their relative motion determines the type of boundary: convergent, divergent, or transform. Earthquakes, volcanic activity, mountain-building, and oceanic trench formation occur along these plate boundaries. The lateral relative movement of the plates typically varies from zero to 100 mm annually.<br /> Tectonic plates are composed of oceanic lithosphere and thicker continental lithosphere, each topped by its own kind of crust. Along convergent boundaries, subduction carries plates into the mantle; the material lost is roughly balanced by the formation of new (oceanic) crust along divergent margins by seafloor spreading. In this way, the total surface of the globe remains the same. This prediction of plate tectonics is also referred to as the conveyor belt principle. Earlier theories (that still have some supporters) proposed gradual shrinking (contraction) or gradual expansion of the globe.<br /> Tectonic plates are able to move because the Earth's lithosphere has a higher strength and lower density than the underlying asthenosphere. Lateral density variations in the mantle result in convection. Plate movement is thought to be driven by a combination of the motion of the seafloor away from the spreading ridge (due to variations in topography and density of the crust, which result in differences in gravitational forces) and drag, downward suction, at the subduction zones. Another explanation lies in the different forces generated by the rotation of the globe and the tidal forces of the Sun and the Moon. The relative importance of each of these factors is unclear, and is still subject to debate.<br /> <br /> Continental Drift.<br /> <br /> Continental drift is the movement of the Earth's continents relative to each other by appearing to drift across the ocean bed. The speculation that continents might have 'drifted' was first put forward by Abraham Ortelius in 1596. The concept was independently (and more fully) developed by Alfred Wegener in 1912. The theory of continental drift was superseded by the theory of plate tectonics, which builds upon and better explains why the continents move.<br /> <br /> North Amercan Plate<br /> <br /> The North American Plate is a tectonic plate covering most of North America, Greenland, Cuba, Bahamas, and parts of Siberia, Iceland and the Azores. It extends eastward to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and westward to the Chersky Range in eastern Siberia. The plate includes both continental and oceanic crust. The interior of the main continental landmass includes an extensive granitic core called a craton. Along most of the edges of this craton are fragments of crustal material called terranes, accreted to the craton by tectonic actions over the long span of geologic time. It is believed that much of North America west of the Rockies is composed of such terranes.<br /> <br /> Geographic extent<br /> The easterly side of the North American Plate is a divergent boundary with the Eurasian Plate to the north and the African Plate to the south forming the northern part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The southerly boundary with the Cocos Plate to the west and the Caribbean Plate to the east is a transform fault, represented by the Cayman Trench under the Caribbean Sea and the Motagua Fault through Guatemala. The parallel Septentrional and Enriquillo-Plantain Garden faults, which run through the island of Hispaniola and bound the Gonâve Microplate, are also a part of the boundary. The rest of the southerly margin which extends east to the Mid Atlantic Ridge and marks the boundary between the North American Plate and the South American Plate remains poorly understood and undefined.<br /> On the northerly boundary is a continuation of the Mid-Atlantic ridge called the Gakkel Ridge. The rest of the boundary in the far northwestern part of the plate extends into Siberia. This boundary continues from the end of the Gakkel Ridge as the Laptev Sea Rift, on to a transitional deformation zone in the Chersky Range, then the Ulakhan Fault between it and the Okhotsk Plate, and finally the Aleutian Trench to the end of the Queen Charlotte Fault system.<br /> The westerly boundary is the Queen Charlotte Fault running offshore along the coast of Alaska and the Cascadia subduction zone to the north, the San Andreas Fault through California, the East Pacific Rise in the Gulf of California, and the Middle America Trench to the south.<br /> On its western edge the Farallon Plate has been subducting under the North American Plate since the Jurassic Period. The Farallon Plate has almost completely subducted beneath the western portion of the North American Plate leaving that part of the North American Plate in contact with the Pacific Plate as the San Andreas Fault. The Juan de Fuca, Explorer, Gorda, Cocos and Nazca Plates are remnants of the Farallon Plate.<br /> The boundary along the Gulf of California is complex. The Gulf is underlain by the Gulf of California Rift Zone, a series of rift basins and transform fault segments between the northern end of the East Pacific Rise in the mouth of the gulf to the San Andreas Fault system in the vicinity of the Salton Trough rift/Brawley seismic zone.<br /> It is generally accepted that a piece of the North American Plate was broken off and transported north as the East Pacific Rise propagated northward, creating the Gulf of California. However, it is as yet unclear whether the oceanic crust east of the Rise and west of the mainland coast of Mexico is actually a new plate beginning to converge with the North American Plate, consistent with the standard model of rift zone spreading centers generally.[citation needed]<br /> <br /> Hotspots<br /> A few hotspots are thought to exist below the North American Plate. The most notable hotspots are the Yellowstone (Wyoming), Raton (New Mexico), and Anahim (British Columbia) hotspots. These are thought to be caused by a narrow stream of hot mantle convecting up the Earth's core-mantle boundary called a mantle plume,[3] although some geologists prefer upper-mantle convection as a cause.[4][5] The Yellowstone and Anahim hotspots are thought to have first arrived during the Miocene period and are still geologically active, creating earthquakes and volcanoes. The Yellowstone hotspot is most notable for the Yellowstone Caldera and the many calderas that lie in the Snake River Plain while the Anahim hotspot is most notable for the Anahim Volcanic Belt, currently found in the Nazko Cone area.<br /> <br /> Plate motion<br /> For the most part, the North American Plate moves in roughly a southwest direction away from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge.<br /> The motion of the plate cannot be driven by subduction as no part of the North American Plate is being subducted, except for a small section comprising part of the Puerto Rico Trench; thus other mechanisms continue to be investigated.<br /> One recent study suggests that a mantle convective current is propelling the plate.[6<br /> <br /> <br /> Overzicht over Þingvellir<br /> Þingvellir is een van de drie nationale parken in IJsland. Het ligt ongeveer 50 km ten oosten van de hoofdstad Reykjavik en is een 6 bij 40 km grote verzakking van de aarde.<br /> <br /> Geologie<br /> De nakomelingen van Arnarson kozen Þingvellir niet bij toeval uit. De plaats werd uitgekozen door de aanwezigheid van een groot fissuur in de aarde, de Almannagjá (alle-mensen-kloof) boven een grote vlakte, die ruimte aan vele tienduizenden mensen kon bieden, een waterval en de Öxará (bijlrivier), en de aanwezigheid van een meer, het Þingvallavatn, die vers water en volop vis leverde. De Almannagjá fungeerde als een echomuur waardoor er een optimale akoestiek voor de toehoorders in het open veld was. Op deze plek is de Midden-Atlantische Rug heel duidelijk zichtbaar.<br /> Het gebied is de scheidingslijn tussen het Noord-Amerikaanse (ten noordwesten van de kloof) en het Europese (ten zuidoosten van de vlakte) continent, met de vlakte zelf als scheiding. Op deze plaats drijft IJsland door tectonische bewegingen schoksgewijs met een gemiddelde snelheid van 1 à 2 cm per jaar uit elkaar, waar diverse fenomenen van getuigen: diepe kloven gevuld met zeer koud en helder water gevoed vanuit ondergrondse waterbronnen, kloven, barsten, watervallen, verzakkingen en breukvlakken. Een aanzienlijk gedeelte van de vlakte is bedekt met lava van de nabij gelegen schildvulkaan Skjaldbreiður, die 9000 jaar geleden nog actief was. Het is ook deze lava geweest die de waterafvloed van het gebied blokkeerde waardoor het Þingvallavatn kon ontstaan. De Almannagjá kloof is ontstaan doordat er een grote aardverzakking heeft plaatsgevonden waarbij de grond over een lengte van zo'n 16 km plaatselijk 30 tot 40 meter daalde. De laatste aardverzakking vond in 1789 plaats waar de vlakte na een aardbeving in 10 dagen tijd met 60 cm daalde.</p> shoot it! panorama cloud mountain lake mountains berg clouds photoshop canon landscape iceland wolken panoramic unescoworldheritagesite unesco worldheritagesite canon5d bergen unescoworldheritage worldheritage stich landschap wolk tectonic vulcanic pingvellir stiching ijsland midatlanticridge tectonicplate canon5dmarkii photoshopcs5 pingvellirnationalparc http://www.flickr.com/photos/croaghaun/8772402004/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/croaghaun/">Arco Ardon</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/croaghaun/8772402004/" title="Snæfellsjökull"><img src="http://farm3.staticflickr.com/2889/8772402004_f53107d955_m.jpg" width="240" height="42" alt="Snæfellsjökull" /></a></p> Wed, 22 May 2013 21:54:24 -0700 2012-06-10T22:52:24-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Arco Ardon) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8772402004 64.906366 -23.825912 64.906366 -23.825912 980372 Snæfellsjökull Arco Ardon volcano iceland snæfellsjökull lupine ísland snæfellsnes vulkaan lupinus coverphoto ijsland eldstöð http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank_van_eck/8723294334/ <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/people/frank_van_eck/">Frank van Eck</a> posted a photo:</p> <p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/frank_van_eck/8723294334/" title="Iceland Skogafoss"><img src="http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7451/8723294334_784e240cf3_m.jpg" width="240" height="158" alt="Iceland Skogafoss" /></a></p> Thu, 09 May 2013 05:24:13 -0700 2013-04-16T14:38:05-08:00 nobody@flickr.com (Frank van Eck) tag:flickr.com,2004:/photo/8723294334 63.529527 -19.512962 63.529527 -19.512962 2345700 Iceland Skogafoss Frank van Eck iceland south hdr skógafoss ijsland fotoreis