This morning we embarked on our last tour of the trip, the Golden Circle Tour. We visited two waterfalls, a crater, a geyser, and the rift between the North American and European tectonic plates. The picture above shows the Kerið crater. We learned that the crater was most likely formed by a small magma chamber beneath the crater. The water in the crater does not empty but rather rises and falls due to changes in the water table. The crater was formed approximately 6,500 years ago. It is about 270 meters long (about 886 feet), 170 meters wide (about 558 feet), and between 7 and 14 meters in depth (about 23 to 46 feet). The crater is part of Iceland’s Western Volcanic Zone. Many craters are hidden by vegetation, but three craters, including this one, are clearly visible. This crater stood out to me not only because of its size but also because of its immense beauty.

Later in the day, we visited Gullfoss nature preserve where the waterfall is permanently protected and preserved for visitors to see. Gullfoss was given its name because of the golden evening hue which covers its water as well as the rainbow that typically appears when the sunshine hits water spray. Some even speculate that a farmer’s treasure is buried beneath the spray of the falls. Before Gullfoss was made into a nature preserve, the waterfall was leased to foreign investors by the farmer of the land. His daughter, however, fought to make the contract void, and even though her attempt failed in court, she continued to fight until the investor left the waterfall alone. The farmer’s daughter is considered to be the first environmentalist of Iceland who fought to keep nature’s beauty.