EMBLEY NEWS
The Land of Fire and Ice
Year 10 GCSE Geographers experienced the magic of Iceland, enhancing their classroom studies on tectonic hazards and glacial landscapes.
The incredible tour began with a visit to the Bridge of Continents where students walked across one of the rift valleys. They also visited FlyOver Iceland, a multi-sensory virtual experience that utilises state-of-the-art technology to simulate flight in a spherical cinema. The thrilling 5D experience took students on a journey across Iceland including wilderness regions rarely seen by tourists.
The second day featured visits to two of the most famous waterfalls in Iceland, Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss. Students donned crampons to navigate up onto the frozen snout of the Sólheimajökull glacier, a wonderland of ice sculptures and crevasses. Seeing the hundreds of metres of ice beneath their feet and witnessing in person the glacial processes and landforms they have been studying was an unforgettable experience. Students explored the volcanic features of the landscape with a visit to Reynisfjara, a world-renown black sand beach with its dramatic basalt columns and powerful, crashing waves.
Students took in the sights of the Golden Circle, Thingvellir National Park and the Gulfoss Waterfall. They also visited Geysir to wait and attempt to photograph the eruption of the Strokkur geyser. Congratulations to James who won our geyser photography competition, with Sam coming a close second!
Our geographers also visited LAVA, an interactive centre situated between the Hekla and Eyjafjallajokull volcanoes, broadening our student’s knowledge of tectonic process and landforms - reinforced later by caving through lava tubes at the Lava Tunnel. Other highlights of the phenomenal trip included a sightseeing tour of Reykjavík and visits to lake Tjörnin, the Sun Voyager sculpture, Hallgrímskirkja Church and the Blue Lagoon. Our students also learnt about geothermal power at the Hellisheidi Geothermal Power Station and how climate change can be mitigated through carbon capture and storage as part of the Carbfix Project.
