Swanson School of Engineering

The Snaefellsnes Peninsula showed the true power of the sea today. Most of what we have seen so far has been the lava fields and mountainous terrain surrounding them. The peninsula certainly experiences the strong winds off the ocean as the weather shifted multiple times within minutes from calm to ferocious winds. Winds are always a factor in Iceland, however, by the sea it seems that is dialed up a lot. The wind gusts reached up to almost sixty miles per hour during the storm with snow blasting across the landscape. It was an intense atmosphere but it was amazing. Similarly, the ocean’s waves seemed fifteen to twenty plus feet high and was constantly slamming into the coastal cliffs with tremendous force. Some of the waves launched the water an additional twenty to thirty feet in the air above the tall cliffs. I have never seen the ocean in such a ferocious state as the waves collided with each other and the rock formations. One of the formations, as pictured, resembles an arch from years of continuous wear. It is a wonder how both the cliffs and some of the rocky beaches have been completely wiped away. To think that sailors and fishermen alike managed to traverse the seas just to survive is almost unimaginable. The small museum we visited showed the small row boats and clothing they wore to face these seas. Clothes made of lamb skin helped the men face the harsh winds and water. Overall, the fierce power of the sea is mind boggling as it has carved the shores to what they are today. The incredibly fast changes of weather could make it difficult landscape for those ill equipped. However, all of this has forged this country into what it is and is incredible to witness.