Chasing Aurora

Description

Iceland is a small island nation that is Europe's westernmost country and home to the world’s northernmost capital, Reykjavik. Eleven percent of the country is covered in glacial ice and is surrounded by water. If global warming continues, rising water levels and melting ice could be devastating to Iceland. A volcanic island, Iceland experiences severe volcanic activity. In 2010, the Eyjafjallajokull volcano at an elevation of 5,466 feet (1,666 meters) erupted, blowing ash high into the atmosphere and disrupting European air traffic for weeks. Iceland is located between the Greenland Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. It is northwest of the United Kingdom, and is slightly smaller than the state of Kentucky. The land is plateau with mountain peaks, and ice fields, with a coastline marked by fjords, which are deep inlets carved by glaciers.

Overall Weather Conditions

The average July temperature in the southern part of the island is 10–13 °C (50–55 °F). Warm summer days can reach 20–25 °C (68–77 °F). The highest temperature recorded was 30.5 °C (86.9 °F) at the Eastern fjords in 1939.

Additional Information

Foxes were the only land mammals in Iceland when it was settled. Newcomers brought in domesticated animals and reindeer. Most of the wildlife is under conservation and protection. There are four national parks and more than 80 nature preserves. Vatnajökull, or Vatna Glacier, is an extensive ice field in southeastern Iceland, which covers 3,200 square miles (8,400 square kilometers) with an average ice thickness of more than 3,000 feet (900 meters).