Iceland was created 16–18 million years ago by a build-up of basalt rock formed from cooling lava on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland is still getting bigger as the North American Plate and Eurasian Plate continue to separate from each other, and also due to the creation of a hotspot from a fissure on the south-east of the island. Lava escapes on to the surface of the island before cooling rapidly.
In 1963, volcanologists’ attention was drawn away from the island to a section of the Atlantic Ocean 32 km off the southern coast of Iceland. A series of volcanic eruptions caused the surface of the water to start bubbling. Between 1963 and 1967, continuous eruptions led to the creation of a new island, now named Surtsey. The island is a protected heritage site and does not have any human settlement. The island has enabled scientist to monitor how plants, bacteria and birds colonise new land over time.
GEO DICTIONARY
To colonise: to take over, to become established in
: Fig. 3.26 Plants colonising Surtsey
: Fig. 3.27 Surtsey Island in 2014
Creation of Fertile Land Volcanic soils are among the most fertile in the world as a result of the weathering of volcanic materials such as ash and lava. This weathering provides nutrients and minerals to the soil, making it extremely fertile for agriculture. The Bay of Naples in southern Italy has benefited greatly from volcanic deposits from Mount Vesuvius. Eruptions from Mount Vesuvius blanketed the area with thick deposits of tephra, which has since been broken down into fertile soil. As a result, the regions surrounding the mountain are farmed intensively, with vines, vegetables, fruits and flowers being grown throughout the year. In areas away from Mount Vesuvius, the land is too barren to grow crops successfully.
; Fig. 3.28 A pineapple plantation in Hawaii
PATTERNS AND PROCESSES IN THE PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT
