This morning we went around the newest island Surtsey. I didn't realize how long volcanos could erupt. Our program says, "Surtsey was formed in a volcanic eruption that began 130 metres below sea level, and reached the surface on the 14th of November 1963, although the eruption may have started a few days earlier. It lasted until June 5th 1967, when the island reached its maximum size of 2.7 km2. Since then, wind and wave erosion has seen the island steadily diminish in size. The undersea vents that produced Surtsey are part of the Vestmannaeyjar submarine volcanic system, part of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The new island was named after the fire giant Surtr from Norse mythology, and was intensively studied by volcanologists during its creation and, since the end of the eruption, has been of great interest to botanists and biologists as life has gradually colonized the originally barren island." We aren't allowed to disembark on the island because it is reserved for scientists. Through binoculars we studied the patterns in the cliffs and on land, as well as watched scientists leave their shack. I knew the white splotches on the rock was bird poop. I did not realize that was specifically where they nested and the poop helped to protect their eggs by reflecting light instead of having the black volcanic rock get too hot. Interesting.
We were able to have a tour of Heimaey, which has a very narrow entry into the harbor. The night before we had watched a movie of how the island's volcano erupted in 1973 and how the city dealt with it. They were able to evacuate the town and many of their belongings. The mayor decided that between saving the town or the harbor, they should try to save the harbor, because without the harbor the town would die anyways. They tried a new method of spraying sea water on the lava, cooling it, trying to make a barrier and redirect the flow. It worked. After climbing a portion of the cinder cone, Eldfell, we ended at a museum that had been built around a house that had been ruined from the explosion. The museum was very interactive and interesting. You could look into the house that was filled with tephra and had bits of clothing, dishes, and other parts of life lying in ruins. There was a table you could manipulate and see the town and the advance of lava each day. There was a pit where you could try digging a miniature town out of the lava sand with your shovel. Slightly outside of town is Herjolful Farmhouse which is the remains of 8 buildings and a replica longhouse from the first settlers of the island (and possibly even all of Iceland). There is also a big outdoor stage for people to come and enjoy a week long music festival, complete with a huge bonfire. There are lots of rolling hills with plenty of grass for all the sheep roaming around. Being an island, it can get quite windy from the sea.
Summary:
Wow moment-It was neat to circle around Surtsey since it's only a 45 year old island. It's the newest part of Iceland!
Worst moment-It was super windy and a little rainy when we got out of the bus to walk Eldfell's cinder cone. And our ship cabin smelled of fish because the port smelled of fish.
Human/nature connection-So interesting to see how the volcano was erupting and people were able to take preventative measures to save the harbor, or afterward all the shoveling they did to get the cemetery and the houses out from under the volcanic tephra. (Tephra is a general term for fragments of volcanic rock, lava or ash).
Teaching connection-I don't think I have anything specific I will use in my music classroom from this day, but if kids ever ask, I now know that bird poop helps keep the rock from getting too hot. I could see me telling some of the kids that cool fact as we are just talking randomly or looking through pictures.
I'm not sure which day naturalist Al Trujillo told me about this composition, but I am very excited to share with my students "Planetary Bands, Warming World" and think of other ways we can compose music to help tell about the earth. Check out global warming data turned to music here:
https://eos.org/articles/
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