My first day in Iceland was definitely very long yet very fun and eventful!
We landed in the early morning, and right from the wee hours of the day we had to get moving. Straight from the airport we boarded a bus and headed almost an hour into downtown Reykjavik. This drive gave me a lot of time to take in the sights, and gather my first impressions.
Iceland is definitely a very naturally beautiful country, yet also very barren. Much of the drive into Reykjavik was along lava plains and fissures in the ground from volcanic activity many years ago. It was so interesting to see how this island nation was sculpted from the churning of magma beneath the ground. Each part of this plain was uniquely shaped, with no two parts looking the exact same. Truly fascinating!
Today we also took a visit to one of the stops of the trip I was most looking forward to: the Geothermal Power Plant. We spent a good portion of our day touring the plant and learning about the geological activity under ground, and what is going underneath the earth that actually makes it possible to harness geothermal energy. We also were able to visit one of the 60+ boreholes that the plant uses to pump carbon dioxide into the ground in efforts to initiate carbon recapture.
Overall, my first full day on the ground in Iceland was very exciting, and I am looking forward to the rest of the trip! The sights I have seen thus far have been so beautiful, and it is only day one!
Swanson School of Engineering 