September 13, 2025 -- The Bridge between Continents (Miðlína) is a symbolic 50-ft foot bridge that spans a shallow rift between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. It is located along the Mid-Atlantic ridge on the easternmost end of the Reykjanes Peninsula, not far from the airport. It was our first stop on our 10-day trip around Iceland and our first glimpse into how unique and diverse the Icelandic landscape was going to be.
The bridge is named after the famous Icelandic explorer Leifur Eiríksson (Leif Erikson), the first European to set foot on continental America; in fact, long before Christopher Columbus made landfall in the Caribbean. The bridge is also a symbol for the connection between two continents. Europe and North America: the old world and the new world.
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a massive underwater mountain range in the Atlantic Ocean where new oceanic crust is formed as the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates pull apart. It is the longest mountain range on earth, with most of it being underwater. It is a hotspot for hydrothermal activity.
All around the bridge is the Reykjanes lava field. It is layers upon layers of lava fields, with the last volcanic eruption having been in 1240. The landscape looked like what you'd expect the moon to look like. They've filmed many movies in the area.
No comments:
Post a Comment