Iceland's special geographical environment

(a) The geographical situation of Iceland

Iceland is an island country in the North Atlantic, between Greenland and Britain, and its capital is Reykjavik, Iceland's largest city. Land area of Iceland: 103, 125 square kilometers. It is the westernmost country in Europe, located between the North Atlantic Ocean and the Greenland Sea in the Arctic Ocean, close to the Arctic Circle, with a glacier area of 8,000 square kilometers, making it the second largest island in Europe. The coastline is about 4970 kilometers long. Three quarters of the whole territory is a plateau with an altitude of 400-800 meters, of which 1/8 is covered by glaciers. There are more than 100 volcanoes, including more than 20 active volcanoes. Nuuk volcano in Huana Darce is the highest peak in China, with an altitude of 2 1 19 meters. Almost the whole country of Iceland is built on volcanic rocks, and most of the land cannot be cultivated. It is the country with the most hot springs in the world, so it is called the country of ice and fire. There are many fountains, waterfalls, lakes and swift rivers. Sijursao, the largest river, is 227 kilometers long. Iceland has a cold temperate maritime climate with changeable climate. Influenced by the Gulf Stream, it is milder than other places in the same latitude. The sunshine time is long in summer and extremely short in winter. Aurora can be seen in autumn and early winter.

Most of Iceland is a plateau with an average elevation of 500 meters. The cliffs are directly adjacent to the coast, and the coastal plains are scattered and narrow. Only the plain near Reykjavik in the southwest is slightly larger. Mount Vanadals, the highest peak, is 2 1 19 meters above sea level. The southern coast is relatively straight, the western, northern and eastern parts are relatively broken, and there are many fjords that go deep inland. The coastline is 5900 kilometers long. During the Quaternary Ice Age, the whole area was covered by glaciers, and the ice thickness reached 700- 1000 meters. So far, ice erosion and moraine landforms can be seen everywhere. The total area of modern glaciers still reaches 1 1920 square kilometers, accounting for 1 1 .5% of the whole island area. Among them, the Vatna ice sheet is 8450 square kilometers. Because glaciers and volcanoes coexist on a large scale, they are called "the country of ice and fire".

Since the late Early Miocene, it has been formed by the accumulation of upper mantle materials spilled from the rift valley in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean, belonging to a volcanic island. The rocks that make up Iceland are all volcanic rocks, and the most widely distributed are basalt, andesite, rhyolite and so on. There are many volcanoes on the island, which are called "Polar Fire Island". * * There are 200-300 volcanoes and 40-50 active volcanoes. The main volcanoes are: Laki Volcano, Huanadals Volcano, Hekela Volcano and catra Volcano. 1963- 1967 volcanic activity in the southwest coast has formed an island of about 2. 1 square kilometer. Iceland has the largest number of hot springs in the world. There are about 250 alkaline hot springs on the island, and the largest hot spring can produce 200 liters of spring water per second. Topographic trend: it is a bowl-shaped highland surrounded by coastal mountains and a plateau in the middle. Most of them are platforms, and the height of the platforms is between 400 and 800 meters. Individual peaks can reach 1.300 to 1.700 meters. The highest peak in Iceland is Mount Huanada Snook (265,438+0,654,38+0.9 meters). The lowland area is very small, and there are marine plains and ice water alluvial plains in the west and southwest, accounting for about 7% of the whole island area. The coastline without glaciers is irregular, with many fjords and bays. Other coastal areas are mainly beaches, and sandbars off the coast form lagoons.

(2) Iceland's natural resources

Although Iceland has a high latitude, the North Atlantic warm current flows from the west, south and east, so the coastal climate is mild and humid, and only the north and northwest are affected by the cold current, which is relatively cold and dry. The population is concentrated in the southwest coastal areas. The average temperature in June is 1 Celsius (the extreme minimum temperature does not exceed -20 Celsius), and the average temperature in July is 1 1 Celsius. South and southwest winds prevail throughout the year, with 200-220 rainy and snowy days and annual precipitation of about 800 mm, which belongs to temperate maritime climate. In the land area, cultivated land accounts for 0. 1%, and forest land accounts for 1. 2% (mainly shrubs), grassland accounted for 22. 7%, and the rest are wasteland and ice fields. Mineral resources are poor, and diatomite is the main one that has been mined. However, hydropower and geothermal energy are rich, which have been developed and utilized in large quantities. The nearby sea area is an important part of the North Atlantic fishing ground. The density of plankton in seawater is 100 times higher than that in the central Mediterranean, and there are about 150 species of fish, mainly cod and scaly fish. Geothermal resources are abundant and hot springs are widely distributed.

(3) Iceland's climate

Located at high latitude, it belongs to a cold temperate maritime climate. Influenced by the North Atlantic warm current, it mainly flows out from its south, and there is a branch around its west and north. So although it is located near the Arctic Circle, the temperature is not low in winter. Summer is usually 10 hour in the daytime, and the temperature of the whole island is between 7- 12 degrees Celsius, which is cool and pleasant. It is recommended to wear coats and other clothes on rainy or cloudy days. Located near the center of low pressure in Iceland, the weather is changeable. Cyclones have brought abundant precipitation to Iceland. The annual average precipitation in southwest and west is between 1000 ~ 2000mm, and it is less in north and northeast, which is 400 ~ 600 mm. Rain and snow weather may occur in any season. But for those who like the Northern Lights, Iceland in winter is the best choice.