Reynisfjara

Reynisfjara Beach is probably the most prominent black colored sanded beach in Iceland plus one of the more famous in the entire planet. This's an area of dramatic and wild beauty where the roaring waves on the Atlantic Ocean energy ashore with huge force. In 1991, Reynisfjara came out on the top 10 list of the best non tropical beaches in the planet, and it's really simple to find out exactly why it was selected!

It's declared to remain on Reynisfjara Beach is quite like being in a natural amphitheater where white water of the Atlantic waves delivers the drama. At anytime of year, and also in virtually any light, this's an area of great beauty that will remind individuals that they are able to never ever be long from the powerful forces of nature which shaped the island of Iceland. Marvel at the potential of the ocean but don't stand quite close - all those masterful waves deserve the value of yours and can be very risky in case you get way too close!

Exactly why is the Sand at Reynisfjara Black?

Even though the sands found on the majority of the world's beaches are golden or white in color, black sand beaches are a good deal rarer because of the particulars of the development of theirs. Sand is produced when rocks are eroded down into small fragments (by definition, a beach is merely a group of huge small rocks).

The reason behind the sand at Reynisfjara becoming a black color is it's created from heavily eroded volcanic rubble (also known as extrusive igneous rubble), which are black (or maybe obsidian) to begin with as they've been created from cooled lava that converts dark as it cools as well as hardens. Probably the most popular volcanic rock present in Iceland is basalt, but you will find a minimum of twenty five different kinds on the island, rhyolite, gabbro, including olivine, and then tholeiite.

The Reynisdrangar Basalt Columns

Reynisdrangar is the title given on the freestanding sea stacks which stand off the coastline of Reynisfjara, not much from the city of Vik.

The biggest of the Reynisdrangar Columns is the person together with the 3 peaks that is known as Langsamur plus it looks quite somewhat like a ship when seen at a distance.

Attached to Langsamur is Landdrangur, the next biggest stack. Landdrangur is the column that is closest to the seaside. The third column is the smallest and is known locally as Skessudrangur or Háidrangur, which is somewhat ironic as both names are derived from the Icelandic words for enormous and tall.

Just how Were the Reynisdrangar Columns Formed?

In Icelandic legend, it was declared the Reynisdrangar would be the remains of a fight between 2 regional trolls and a three masted ship. When daylight broke, the 2 trolls were transformed to stone, and the ship was caught with them for all eternity, developing a team of sea stacks which we today contact the Reynisdrangar Columns.

In reality, these natural components have been part of, and also linked to, the Reynisfjall mountain range during the final ice age, but after long stretches of strong weathering, they've become eroded to the stage where they're not connected and appear as although they sprouted up from the beach by themselves.

Weathering and erosion carry on and reshape the Reynisdrangar Columns on a regular basis. With which in mind, they're continually changing, so no 2 visits to the spot will generate the very same sights.

For More Information: Reynisfjara