Iceland

Dates (tentative): 15 May - 16 June 2008

Faculty Leaders: Prof. Malcolm Hill (m.hill@neu.edu) and Prof. Daniel Douglass (d.douglass@neu.edu)

Description:

Major themes of the trip will be to study Iceland's active volcanic and glacial processes in a natural laboratory setting, observe sea-floor spreading at the only place on earth where a divergent plate boundary is accessible to study on land, analyze how the Icelandic people's past decisions about land use affect their quality of life today, and how current Icelandic society manages the interaction with the land in this active volcanic environment just below the Arctic Circle, learn about Icelandic history, literature and culture.

All students will study and learn:
*Impact of latitude and ocean currents (Gulf Stream) on Iceland's climate, and contrast Boston's climate in mid-summer with what they experience in Iceland;
*Impact of recent climate changes on Iceland's ice and snow cover, and implications for people in Iceland of these changes;
*Range of volcanic eruption styles and their geologic and social/historical impact on Icelandic society;
*Effects of glaciers in eroding the landscape and depositing sediment elsewhere;
*Interface between volcanic activity and glaciers on Iceland - palagonite (tuff) ridges, and floods/sandurs when meltwater streams out from a sub-glacial eruption;
*Implications of bimodal (basalt-rhyolite) volcanism;
*Surface water and its behavior in this volcanic/glaciated terrane - rivers, waterfalls, erosion and deposition of sediment;
*Groundwater and its behavior near magma chambers at shallow depth in the crust - geothermal heating of water, geysers, and hydrothermal alteration of rock as a consequence;
*Effects of active magma intrusion/extrusion at a divergent plate boundary.

View answers to many of your Iceland Dialogue questions!

Course Credits: IAF U937 Dialogue of Civilizations: Science & Technology (4 SH) and ENV U501 Geologic Field Seminar (4 SH)

Cost of Program: Most costs (airfare, accommodations, excursions, and some meals) are covered by Summer tuition. There may be an additional program fee depending on length of stay in-country, airline ticket prices, or other extra-ordinary expenses. Students will be responsible for meals and all personal spending money. Students will be required to buy camping equipment before departing from the U.S. Please contact the faculty leaders for further details.

Application Process: The program is open to students of any major, but students should have a strong interest in the sciences. Students who have completed an introductory-level GEO or ENV course (100-299 level), preferred but another introductory-level science course can be substituted. Sophomore standing or above is preferred. Download the Dialogue of Civilizations application, enrollment form, and waiver form. Turn in the completed forms to Cynthia Rapp in the International Affairs Office, 270 Holmes Hall.

Application Deadline: The deadline for this Dialogue has passed. Please consider another one of our wonderful Dialogue programs.

Disclaimer: Some information posted here is tentative and subject to change based on costs and dates of available flights. The website is updated as current information becomes available.