Silfra is the only place where you can dive or snorkel directly in the crack between two continental plates. This fissure runs right between the two continental plates. Every 10 years or so, this tension is released through major earthquakes. At silfras point in the range, continental drift forces the two tectonic plates apart by about two centimeters per year. The silfra crack, where divers can touch two continents at. Located in thingvellir national park, the silfra fissure is a crack between two tectonic plates where you can swim between north america and. The popularity of this unique site has made it one of the coolest places to visit in iceland. The silfra fissure in iceland forms part of the boundary between the north american and the eurasian tectonic plates. First, the silfra fissure is actually a crack between the north american and eurasian continents, meaning that you dive or snorkel right where the. Diving in silfra iceland at thingvellir national park. Divingsnorkeling silfra iceland continental divide. This widens by 2 cm each year, and a tension is created that causes to build the silfra itself, and the valley. Silfra constantly fills with glacial water that has been trickling through underground lava rock for 30 years. The geology of silfra and the thingvellir valley are closely connected to the midatlantic ridge and the continental drift that occurs along its length.
The silfra fissure is a crack between the north american and eurasian continents, a unique place where scuba divers can touch both continents at the same time deep beneath the surface of the water. This is iceland and here, the eurasian and american continental plates are creaking apart from one another at two centimetres a year. Big crack, silfra hall, silfra cathedral and the silfra lagoon. You will float through big crack, silfras narrowest section where the continental plates are so close you can almost touch them simultaneously.
Silfra rift diving between two continents, iceland youtube. In some parts of this freshwater rift, a diver can touch both continents at once. Every year the tectonic plates drift apart by roughly 2cm, putting the land in between under great tension. Post jobs, find pros, and collaborate commissionfree in our professional marketplace. Big crack, silfras narrowest section and where the continental plates are so close you can almost touch them. Silfra is found on the northernmost edge of thingvallavatn, the largest natural lake in iceland. Posted on august 28, 2018 september 3, 2018 by lovelyoutliers. Silfra is the only place in the world you can dive directly between the worlds biggest continental plates, the north american and the eurasian. Big crack, silfra hall, silfra cathedral and silfra lagoon. During your snorkel, you will explore the four main parts of silfra. The snorkeling silfra day tour with pickup includes transportation between reykjavik and silfra. You can actually snorkel in the crack between two continental plates, the european and north american, in a place called silfra. Diving down the silfra crack allows divers to be able to swim between continents and actually touch two tectonic plates at the same time. The fissure is formed by the pulling apart of two tectonic plates.
With about 100 metres visibility and water temperature between 2 and 4 degrees celsius, there. Im so ready for the shock of numbing cold that when i. In the deep waters of the atlantic ocean this crack is mainly unseen, but at silfra, clear melt water of icelandic glaciers make the rift visible. Diving between two continents, diving in silfra gloholiday. Snorkeling in the silfra fissure is a once in a lifetime experience that you dont want to miss. Silfra is an underwater fissure in thingvellir national park, the first national park in iceland and a unesco world heritage site.
The most astonishing underwater discoveries page 11. There is a crack between the american and eurasian continental plates, which happens to pass through iceland about 2 hours outside of reykjavik. It was proven in silfra that underwater visibility exceeds 100 meters, which is extremely rare. The visibility in silfra exceeds 100m, making it some of the clearest water in the world, and divers and snorkellers dive and float between the american and eurasian continental plates. Its also very cold about 36 to 39 degrees fahrenheit. Org all about silfra, the famous dive site in iceland. Diving silfra a diver diving inbetween the north american and european continental plates at silfra crack, iceland.
Silfra is a fissure between the north american and eurasian continental plates. Heres mike diving snorkeling silfra in the summer looks a bit different green algae they call troll hair actually grows on the rocks. The silfra fissure is the only place where a swimmer can dive or snorkel directly in between the fissure crack. This creates tension on the land itself, which releases with a major. At this point if you look at just the right angle you can see all the way to lake. Diving silfra was one of the most fantastic things ive ever done. The continental plates are drifting apart at a rate of approximately 2cm per year, slowly widening the gap and increasing the beautiful space the silfra fissure covers. When this fissure of volcanic activity merged with the volcanic hot spot in the. A fissure, that even has a name, silfra, which translates to silvery, appeared in 1789 after a major earthquake.
The second reason, the silfra is a top dive site, is that it is the only place in the world where one can dive between two continental plates, the north american and eurasian. Icelands silfra fissure a crack between continents formed by the constant pulling apart of two tectonic plates is a geological wonder. These two tectonic plates drift apart roughly 2cm per year. Silfra is a rift formed in the divergent tectonic boundary between the north american and eurasian plates and is located in the.
The tour will last for about 30 to 40 minutes as the guide will show around the four main parts of silfra. The extreme water clarity is because the glacier water is so cold 24 degrees c and it is filtered through porous underground lava for 30. Get your padi dry suit certificate in iceland and dive in the clearest water in the world, silfra fissure, between the continental plates. Truly a unique experience, found nowhere else in the world. But what makes diving silfra crack in the thingvellir national park extraordinary is that, by diving here, youre in the space between two worlds. The fissure then widens into silfra hall, where the full spectrum of silfras colors and clarity become all the more apparent. Day tour snorkeling in silfra at thingvellir nonnitravel.
In the illustrated dictionary of my imaginings, the word has a picture of me sitting between the eurasian and north american continental plates, getting up the nerve to immerse myself in water that is 35 degrees fahrenheit. Snorkeling in iceland silfra snorkeling extreme iceland. Snorkeling in silfra fissure snorkeling in silfra fissure is a once in a lifetime experience, you dont want to miss. During the tour, you will explore the four main parts of silfra. The underwater dive feature is a direct result of a drift between the two continental plates of europe and north america. Diving will be done in a dry suit as the water is very cold, ranging 35. Dive site silfra in thingvellir national park, iceland dive. The silfra fissure iceland is a monument to geology. We offer daily tours where you get the chance to float between the two continental plates while enjoying the clarity of the water. Silfra is filled with pure and clear glacial water in which you can float with us on our snorkeling tours. Theres a fissure between the north american and eurasian tectonic plates. The fissure lies between the plates of europe and america making it possible for.
There are even places where they can actually touch both continents at the same time. This remarkable crack is filled with the clearest water on our planet over 100 meters visibility. First, big crack is silfras narrowest section, where the continental plates are so close that it is almost possible to touch them both at the same time. We offer daily tours where you get the chance to float between the two continental plates. The silfra crack in iceland is a rift between the american and eurasian tectonic plates. This remarkable crack between two tectonic plates is therefore filled with the clearest water. The silfra crack or fissure is a rift that is part of a divergent tectonic boundary located between the north american and eurasian tectonic plates. Silfra is a fissure in thingvellir national park which provides a unique opportunity to dive beetween the north american and eurasian continental plates.
Scuba diving the silfra in iceland dive buddies 4 life. Padi dry suit speciality course dive in silfra fissure. The crack of silfra conflict is the meat of great storytelling. Its an everwidening crack down the center of iceland where the north american and european tectonic plates are slowly pulling apart. The european and american continental plates are moving apart at a rate of about two centimeters a year. Silfra fissure is in the heart of thingvellir national park exactly at the point where. Located in icelands thingvellir national park is the most impressive meeting place of the north american and eurasian tectonic plates the silfra fissure. Every year the tectonic plates drift apart by roughly 2cm, putting the land in. Plate tectonics may be essential for life quanta magazine. Today, silfra is filled with crystal clear glacial water, making it the only place in the world where you can dive or snorkel between two continental plates. What a feeling it must be to swim in between the growing gap of north america, and europe. Dive between two continents in this frigid fissure in iceland. The silfra crack, where divers can touch two continents at once. You will float through big crack, silfras narrowest section and where the continental plates are so close you can almost touch them.
Silfra is a fissure between the european and the north american tectonic plates that are drifting apart here in iceland. The silfra fissure is a crack between the north american and eurasian continental plates. Pushing apart the continental plates the north american and european tectonic plates move apart on an average of two centimeters per year, at silfra crack you can dive in between them and touch both sides in some sections. Snorkeling in silfra in iceland between 2 continents. Diving and snorkling in the silfra crack, the crack between the european and north american continental plates. You might prefer such tropes as manversusnature or manversusbluealiens, but the best geological drama often unfolds when tectonic plates duke it out, especially continental plates. Here the full spectrum of silfras colours and clarity become all. The idea behind continental or tectonic plate theory is that geologically the outermost shell of the planet is sitting on top of a liquid mantle or core of the earth. Silfra is located in thingvellir national park, about 45 minutes from reykjavik. Beneath the silfra fissures chilly surface you can kick off from a plate holding up the rockies and land on another that is supporting the alps.
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