LAND OF FIRE AND ICE

Seahawks Take Flight in the Land of Fire and Ice

By Caroline Cropp ’99, ’06M

Katie Johnson overlooking the Jökulsárlón glacial lagoon, formed at the tongue of Europe's largest glacier, Vatnajökull.

Photo credit: Marley Smith

This past December, senior lecturer Amy Long braved the elements to take student researchers to Iceland.

Photo credit: Amy Long This was her third time traveling to “the land of fire and ice” for her course “Iceland: Sustainable and Renewable Energies, Industry and Tourism.” Her students saw first-hand the progress made in sustainable and renewable energies and industry, while touring the country and meeting with leaders in sustainable adventure travel.

The 2021 cohort met with researchers studying the carbon sequestration potential of Iceland’s soils – data being used to inform Iceland’s climate change policy and future land-use development and visited Landgræðsla ríkisins (the national Soil Conservation Service) to learn more about the history, culture and ecological impact of the nation’s sheep farming.

The group explored Iceland’s gorgeous southern coast with stops at Þingvellir (Thingvellir) and Vatnajökull national parks. They hiked to natural hot springs and on Sólheimajökull glacier (a glacier on top of a volcano), explored waterfalls and canyons, ice caving near the giant volcano Katla. While talking with restoration ecologist Rannvieg Ólafsdóttir, the class realized UNCW’s Department of Environmental Sciences has the equipment to measure carbon sequestration potential in soils. Using the protocol she shared, they will measure the climate mitigation potential of campus’ natural areas and report their findings to help inform the UNCW Climate Resiliency Plan..

Ljosafoss is the oldest hydroelectric power plant on the River Sog. It began power production in 1937, bringing electricity to the city of Reykjavik and started the nation’s transition from coal to renewable energy.

Amy Long joined the Department of Environmental Sciences full time in 2013, after teaching part time in biology and marine biology since 2010. She partners with The GREEN Program, a sustainabilityfocused experiential learning program that offers weeklong courses to Iceland, Peru, Japan and Belize Piggybacking her course with TGP gives students access to industry and research leaders in green energy resources, cutting-edge carbon sequestration facilities, and state-of-the-art geothermal power and hydropower plants.

UNCW students (from left to right) Marley Smith, Katie Johnson, Jess Elliott, Sarah Brazil, Dillon Roberts and Melissa Hastings caving at Vatnajökull glacier.

Photo credit: Amy Long UNCW students (from left to right) Shelby Diehl, Katie Johnson, Marley Smith and Jess Elliott. The black sands are created by the weathering and erosion of lava fields.

Photo credit: Amy Long

“I always think, ‘This will be my last,’ after we land in the states and the exhaustion of two weeks of exploring southern Iceland is fully realized,” said Long. “But, months since my last return and reflecting on all that we did, I can have my bags packed in 10 minutes to go again!”

Amy Long hiking Sólheimajökull outlet glacier on the Katla volcano.

Photo credit: Mummi Markússon

Canyoning in Þórsmörk, the Valley of Thor.

Photo credit: Marley Smith