Kolbeinsey
Encyclopedia
Kolbeinsey is a small island
105 kilometres (65.2 mi) off the northern coast of Iceland
, 74 kilometres (46 mi) north-northwest of the island of Grímsey
. The island is the northernmost point of Iceland
and lies north of the Arctic Circle
. A basalt
landform, devoid of vegetation
, it is subject to rapid wave erosion
and is expected to disappear in the near future, probably around the year 2020, based upon current rates of erosion.
The original size of the island is unknown. When it was first measured in 1616, its size was 700 metres (2,296.6 ft) from north to south and 100 metres (328.1 ft) east to west. By 1903, it had already diminished to half that size. In August 1985, the size was given as 39 metres (128 ft) across. At the beginning of 2001, Kolbeinsey had reduced to an area of a mere 90 square metres (968.8 sq ft), which would correspond to the size of a circle of about 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) in diameter, or the footprint of a residential building. The island has a maximum elevation of 8 metres (26.2 ft).
A helicopter landing site was constructed on the island in 1989 but efforts to strengthen the island have subsided in part because of agreements with Denmark over limits. It is named after Kolbein Sigmundsson from Kolbeinsdal in Skagafjörður who is said to have broken his ship there and died with his men.
. Kolbeinsey is the only subaerial expression of this portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
. It formed during the late-Pleistocene
or Holocene
. Dredged glass shards indicate submarine eruptive activity during the late-Pleistocene until at least 11,800 radiocarbon years ago.
which was laid with concrete in 1989 had been destroyed when a large piece of rock separated from the rest of the island. Kolbeinsey may disappear completely much sooner than originally expected.
Island
An island or isle is any piece of sub-continental land that is surrounded by water. Very small islands such as emergent land features on atolls can be called islets, cays or keys. An island in a river or lake may be called an eyot , or holm...
105 kilometres (65.2 mi) off the northern coast of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, 74 kilometres (46 mi) north-northwest of the island of Grímsey
Grímsey
Grímsey is a small island in the country of Iceland, off the north coast of the main island of Iceland and straddling the Arctic Circle. In January 2011 it had 86 inhabitants....
. The island is the northernmost point of Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
and lies north of the Arctic Circle
Arctic Circle
The Arctic Circle is one of the five major circles of latitude that mark maps of the Earth. For Epoch 2011, it is the parallel of latitude that runs north of the Equator....
. A basalt
Basalt
Basalt is a common extrusive volcanic rock. It is usually grey to black and fine-grained due to rapid cooling of lava at the surface of a planet. It may be porphyritic containing larger crystals in a fine matrix, or vesicular, or frothy scoria. Unweathered basalt is black or grey...
landform, devoid of vegetation
Vegetation
Vegetation is a general term for the plant life of a region; it refers to the ground cover provided by plants. It is a general term, without specific reference to particular taxa, life forms, structure, spatial extent, or any other specific botanical or geographic characteristics. It is broader...
, it is subject to rapid wave erosion
Erosion
Erosion is when materials are removed from the surface and changed into something else. It only works by hydraulic actions and transport of solids in the natural environment, and leads to the deposition of these materials elsewhere...
and is expected to disappear in the near future, probably around the year 2020, based upon current rates of erosion.
The original size of the island is unknown. When it was first measured in 1616, its size was 700 metres (2,296.6 ft) from north to south and 100 metres (328.1 ft) east to west. By 1903, it had already diminished to half that size. In August 1985, the size was given as 39 metres (128 ft) across. At the beginning of 2001, Kolbeinsey had reduced to an area of a mere 90 square metres (968.8 sq ft), which would correspond to the size of a circle of about 7.5 metres (24.6 ft) in diameter, or the footprint of a residential building. The island has a maximum elevation of 8 metres (26.2 ft).
A helicopter landing site was constructed on the island in 1989 but efforts to strengthen the island have subsided in part because of agreements with Denmark over limits. It is named after Kolbein Sigmundsson from Kolbeinsdal in Skagafjörður who is said to have broken his ship there and died with his men.
Geology
A submarine eruption was reported in 1372 near the Kolbeinsey Ridge northwest of GrímseyGrímsey
Grímsey is a small island in the country of Iceland, off the north coast of the main island of Iceland and straddling the Arctic Circle. In January 2011 it had 86 inhabitants....
. Kolbeinsey is the only subaerial expression of this portion of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Mid-Atlantic Ridge
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world. It separates the Eurasian Plate and North American Plate in the North Atlantic, and the African Plate from the South...
. It formed during the late-Pleistocene
Pleistocene
The Pleistocene is the epoch from 2,588,000 to 11,700 years BP that spans the world's recent period of repeated glaciations. The name pleistocene is derived from the Greek and ....
or Holocene
Holocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
. Dredged glass shards indicate submarine eruptive activity during the late-Pleistocene until at least 11,800 radiocarbon years ago.
State of erosion
On 9 March 2006, it was stated that helicopters were no longer able to land on Kolbeinsey. It had been found that almost a half the helipadHelipad
Helipad is a common abbreviation for helicopter landing pad, a landing area for helicopters. While helicopters are able to operate on a variety of relatively flat surfaces, a fabricated helipad provides a clearly marked hard surface away from obstacles where a helicopter can safely...
which was laid with concrete in 1989 had been destroyed when a large piece of rock separated from the rest of the island. Kolbeinsey may disappear completely much sooner than originally expected.
See also
- Extreme points of Iceland
- Geography of IcelandGeography of IcelandIceland is a medium-sized island in the North Atlantic ocean. The island is located east of Greenland and immediately south of the Arctic Circle, atop the divergent boundary of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge in the North Atlantic Ocean. It lies about from New York City and from Scotland...
- List of islands off Iceland
- List of volcanoes in Iceland
- Volcanism in Iceland
External links
- further information on Kolbeinsey
- Kolbeinsey að hverfa in Icelandic