NationStates Jolt Archive

Here you can ask North Island a question about Iceland.
This is the official Iceland topic thread.
(You other people can make an official thread for your countries. Just an idea.)

I made this thread because there seems to be many foolish things people believe or have heard about my country and I want to rectify that.

Ask me any question you want, do not worry if you think your question sounds stupid or naive just ask. I'd rather give you the correct answer to your question then to have you think that what you may have heard or thought to be true is so when it really is not.
You can ask ANYTHING! but keep the post on topic please.

Note: If you should ever meet a person on this forum that wants a question about Iceland answered please direct him or her to this thread. Thank You.

Ask away...

OK, just answer with a simple "yes" or "no".

Do you have...

legalised gay marriage?
legalised prostitution?
legalised soft drugs?

What is your current position on fishing quotas and the national fishing limits within the EU?

OK, just answer with a simple "yes" or "no".

Do you have...

legalised gay marriage?
legalised prostitution?
legalised soft drugs?

1.Yes
2.No
3.No

Whaling - what's up with that? You and Norway should know better!

How much of the economy is under state ownership?

Whaling - what's up with that? You and Norway should know better!

Whaling is not immoral and we do have the right to do what we want in our waters.
The whaling in Iceland is for scientific purposes only, unlike Japan and Norway.

Whaling is not immoral and we do have the right to do what we want in our waters.
The whaling in Iceland is for scientific purposes only, unlike Japan and Norway.

Suuure....

Whaling is not immoral and we do have the right to do what we want in our waters.
The whaling in Iceland is for scientific purposes only, unlike Japan and Norway.


That's what they want you to believe..

What about gun control

what is the school system like

I'll think o fmore later

What is your current position on fishing quotas and the national fishing limits within the EU?

The government of Iceland enforces it's quota system with Icelandic Coast Guard ships and planes.
The EU as I understand it (We are not in the EU) has laws that state that any member nation can fish in another nations waters with some limitations. This we do not like and is the main reason that we do not want to be in the EU. Our fish and our waters and we will not let other nations fish here as they wish.
Overfishing is a major problem today and we are looking at other quota system options.

That's what they want you to believe..
No, that is really what is going on here! Remember it is a small country, secrets are temporary here so we would know.

What about gun control

what is the school system like

I'll think o fmore later

1.You would need a gun permission from the police,2 week training by the police + test and no criminal record. You would also need a gun ownership permission from the police and then you must register all your guns. Note: One can not buy a gun without the licence. hand guns or side armes are rear and most people buy rifles and shotguns. People must renew all licences after a surten time
The only people that have guns here are a few hunters, police (Víkingasveitin) and the coast guard. 20 year age limit.

2. http://eng.menntamalaraduneyti.is/education-in-iceland/

No, that is really what is going on here! Remember it is a small country, secrets are temporary here so we would know.

What is done with the whales?

o.O Interesting

What is done with the whales?
Medical research.

How much of the economy is under state ownership?

Several major companies but the PM is looking to stamp out most government ownership.
I'll see if I cant get you a good number. I'll post them here when I can.

What kind of medical research is done with whales? They're a tad large - wouldn't dragging a whole dead whale into a lab be...inconvienient?

Most medical research is carried out on live specimens, not dead ones. Pretty much the only thing you can do on a dead creature is an autopsy. That and scavenge their DNA.

If you have more information on this medical research, please post it here. I'm very curious.

Could you give me a thoroughly detailed history of Iceland starting from its formation as a geological entity through an analysis of current day politics to predictions for the future?

How come your are one of the easiest countries to hold in a game of Risk? I was playing last night and Iceland was one of the last places iheld before I was wiped out.

How come your are one of the easiest countries to hold in a game of Risk? I was playing last night and Iceland was one of the last places iheld before I was wiped out.
Everyone knows that....vikings defend it from the east and canadians(!?) defend it from the west.

Could you give me a thoroughly detailed history of Iceland starting from its formation as a geological entity through an analysis of current day politics to predictions for the future?


Geography
Iceland, an island about the size of Kentucky, lies in the north Atlantic Ocean east of Greenland and just touches the Arctic Circle. It is one of the most volcanic regions in the world. More than 13% is covered by snowfields and glaciers, and most of the people live in the 7% of the island that is made up of fertile coastland. The Gulf Stream keeps Iceland's climate milder than one would expect from an island near the Arctic Circle.

Government
Constitutional republic.

History
The earliest inhabitants of Iceland were Irish hermits, who left the island upon the arrival of the pagan Norse people in the late 9th century. A constitution drawn up c. 930 created a form of democracy and provided for an Althing (Alþingi), the world's oldest practicing legislative assembly. The island's early history was preserved in the Icelandic sagas of the 13th century.

In 1262–1264, Iceland came under Norwegian rule and passed to ultimate Danish control through the unification of the kingdoms of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark (the Kalmar Union) in 1397.

In 1874, Icelanders obtained their own constitution, and in 1918, Denmark recognized Iceland, via the Act of Union, as a separate state with unlimited sovereignty. It remained, however, nominally under the Danish monarchy.

During the German occupation of Denmark in World War II, British, then American, troops occupied Iceland and used it for a strategic air base. While officially neutral, Iceland cooperated with the Allies throughout the conflict. On June 17, 1944, after a popular referendum, the Althing proclaimed Iceland an independent republic.

The country joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization in 1949, and subsequently received an American air force base in 1951. In 1970, it was admitted to the European Free Trade Association. Iceland unilaterally extended its territorial fishing limit from 3 to 200 nautical mi in 1972, precipitating a dispute with the UK known as the “cod wars,” which ended in 1976, when the UK recognized the new limits. In 1980, the Icelanders elected a woman to the office of the presidency, the first elected female chief of state (i.e., president as distinct from prime minister) in the world. After the recession of the early 1990s, Iceland's economy rebounded.

At the International Whaling Commission meeting in July 2001, Iceland refused to agree to the continuation of the moratorium on commercial whaling that has been in effect since 1986. In 2003, after a 14-year lull, it began hunting whales for scientific research.

In May 2003, David Oddsson was reelected, making him the longest-serving prime minister in Europe. In 2004, in a pre-arranged agreement made between the two parties of the coalition government, Oddsson and Foreign Minister Halldór Ásgrímsson switched positions.

Need more?

How come your are one of the easiest countries to hold in a game of Risk? I was playing last night and Iceland was one of the last places iheld before I was wiped out.
Good strategic position and hard to get to.

Iceland's national economy is overwhelmingly dependent on the utilisation of living marine resources in the ocean around the country. The sustainability of the utilisation is therefore of central importance for the long-term well being of the Icelandic people. For this reason, Iceland places a great emphasis on effective management of fisheries and on scientific research on all the components of the marine ecosystem. At a time when many fisheries around the world are declining, or even depleted, Iceland's marine resources are generally in a healthy state.

For a number of years, Iceland has been realising the necessity of further scientific research on whales to get a better understanding of the interactions between the different whale stocks and other marine species and the role of whales in the marine ecosystem.

There are many different whale species and stocks in the world's oceans. Some of them are in a bad state and are therefore in need of protection. However, many whale populations are far from being in any way threatened or endangered. In fact, scientists agree that there are millions of whales in the world's oceans. The taking of threatened or endangered whales for scientific purposes, or any other purposes, is certainly not justified and is clearly opposed by Iceland. On the other hand, limited taking of animals from abundant populations can not be opposed on environmental or ecological grounds. Quite to the contrary, the need for a comprehensive understanding of the ecosystem of the sea makes it imperative for us to study as much as possible all the different elements of the ecosystem, including whales. To ensure sustainability and to conserve the marine environment we need reliable scientific knowledge. Leaving a part of the equation out will result in getting the wrong answers.

Last year, Iceland put a research plan forward for discussion within the International Whaling Commission's (IWC) Scientific Committee. The plan included taking a total of 100 sei whales, 200 fin whales and 200 minke whales over the research period, originally planned to be two years. While there were different opinions on most issues within the Scientific Committee, the Committee did agree that the proposed catch of minke whales is unlikely to have a significant impact on the Central North Atlantic stock of minke whales. In other words, while opinion was split on many issues the Scientific Committee agreed that the proposed catch is sustainable.

Implementation of the research plan started in 2003, the first whaling to be conducted in Iceland since 1989. Although all the elements in the plan are scientifically valid and the proposed takes would not threaten the whale stocks in any way, animals from just one of the three species originally proposed were taken. Only minke whales were taken, but no fin whales or sei whales. Additionally, although the original intention was to take 100 minke whales during the first year of the plan's implementation, only 36 animals were taken. This does not change the scientific basis of the research, as the same sample size of 200 minke whales will be taken during the whole research period which will now be longer than was originally intended.

The decision to take only this limited number of minke whales for scientific purposes is clearly a minimalist approach. Leaving out the two larger species, fin and sei whales, at the same time as the number of minke whales taken each year is decreased shows Iceland's willingness to be constructive and compromise when it comes to whaling issues. Regardless of the abundance of all three species, and the scientific need to conduct the research, several parties that oppose whaling as a matter of principle regardless of stock abundance stated their concern regarding Iceland's original plan. Iceland hopes that this minimalist approach meets most of those concerns. The take is far below that of the biggest whaling countries: the United States, Japan, Russia and Norway.

This year the implementation continues in a minimalistic manner. Again, only minke whales will be taken, but no fin or sei whales. The total number of minke whales that will be taken in 2004 is 25. To show the obvious sustainability of the catch, this should be put in the context of a recently agreed estimate by the IWC's Scientific Committee of 43,000 minke whales in Icelandic coastal waters. The catch in 2004 is less than 0.1% of this population.

Whaling for scientific purposes is an activity that all members of the IWC have an undisputed right to conduct in accordance with Article 8 of the International Convention for the Regulation of Whaling, which establishes the IWC. This right comes with the legal obligation to utilise the products of the animals that are taken. The products will therefore be utilised as practicable. Such utilisation is of course the normal practice in marine science, as products of animals that are taken in scientific research are normally not wasted either in research on e.g. fish species.

The proceeds from selling the products, which will go to the domestic Icelandic market, will fall short of covering the cost of conducting the scientific research. In fact, the cost will be manifold the value of the whale products. The government of Iceland provides funds for the research in view of its importance for maintaining Iceland's long-term policy of sustainable use of living marine resources.

The main objective of the research is to gain knowledge on the role that minke whales have in the marine ecosystem, especially their interaction with fish stocks. Following are the research objectives, as set out in the scientific plan's executive summary:

Increase the knowledge on feeding ecology of minke whales in Icelandic waters by studies on diet composition, energetics, consumption of different prey species and multispecies modelling.
Comparison of the genetic structure of minke whales off Iceland, Norway (including the Jan Mayen area), the Faroes and Greenland.
Monitoring and evaluation of the morbidity of potential pathogens.
Temporal changes in biological parameters.
Pollutant burden and evaluation of the health status of individual whales and populations.
The applicability of nonlethal research methods.

Attached is an information paper containing some questions and answers regarding this minimal implementation of the scientific research plan.

http://eng.sjavarutvegsraduneyti.is/media/wordskjol/q&a-mai2004-final.doc

The Ocean Icelands Policy.

http://eng.sjavarutvegsraduneyti.is/media/Skyrslur/Hafid_ensk_utg_pdf.pdf

Please describe a hot Icelandic woman.

Please describe a hot Icelandic woman.

Thats probably the one single question we hate!
Look, the simple fact is that we do not have any more "hot" woman here then any other nation and if you believe that we do then you are just naive.
I can not even count the times I have seen foreign people beaten here for thinking our woman are "easy" and "loose".
Remember we are a small country and we are ALL connected in some way to each other by blood or by friendship.
You slip up or come with that typical foreign attitude that you are know so well here for then you really might be in some danger. Really.
We are a very united people.

why is there so much intrest in NS general about Iceland?

Can people run around town in the buff without getting arrested in Iceland?

why is there so much intrest in NS general about Iceland?

I really don't know. Sorry.
Maybe because it's such a litle known nation but still a western nation.

Can people run around town in the buff without getting arrested in Iceland?

No, they would arrest you.

I have heard, and I am not sure of the veracity of this, that your surname in Iceland depends upon your father's first name. Magnusson, being literally the son of Magnus. I.E. a son of David Oddsson would be <first name> Davidson, and not <first name> Oddsson. How do you trace family relationships back through time with this system, if it is true?

I have heard, and I am not sure of the veracity of this, that your surname in Iceland depends upon your father's first name. Magnusson, being literally the son of Magnus. I.E. a son of David Oddsson would be <first name> Davidson, and not <first name> Oddsson. How do you trace family relationships back through time with this system, if it is true?
I know that one, it's true, and the girls have an other one, meaning "daughter of...", don't know the term...

No, they would arrest you.

I'll run fast. :)

I have heard, and I am not sure of the veracity of this, that your surname in Iceland depends upon your father's first name. Magnusson, being literally the son of Magnus. I.E. a son of David Oddsson would be <first name> Davidson, and not <first name> Oddsson. How do you trace family relationships back through time with this system, if it is true?

Thats true.
The son of Davíð Oddsson would be for egsample Magnús Davíðsson and his son would be Magnússon etc.
If Davíð Oddsson would have a daughter she would be Davíðsdóttir, meaning daughter of Davíð. Woman here do not take the name of their husbands they keep their names.
We trace the family by the Íslendinga Sögurnar or the Sagas as you know them. We also use first names because often families have "family first names" that are common in the family.
All of us have family books that have the names of the people in our family and thees are updated often. Kind of works like the clans in Scotland.

...I can not even count the times I have seen foreign people beaten here for thinking our woman are "easy" and "loose"...
I noticed that, sorry, but the Icelandic girls I met were pretty reserved.

I'll run fast. :)
I would like to see you try. Many of the police are in the Víkingasveit which is kind of like the Delta force or SAS but still a police special forces unit and the police must follow health regs. They run really fast but if you can run really fast too you might get away. :)

I would like to see you try. Many of the police are in the Víkingasveit which is kind of like the Delta force or SAS but still a police special forces unit and the police must follow health regs. They run really fast but if you can run really fast too you might get away. :)

I'm a professional mischief maker. :cool:

Do you know the Norse(?) myth on how Iceland was created? If so, could you explain, as I'm extremely vague on this - something about a fossilised sea monster sent by the gods?
Do you know if there's any shortcuts on a standard QWERTY keyboard for the Icelandic characters such as ð? (I got that one with copy+paste)

I have heard, and I am not sure of the veracity of this, that your surname in Iceland depends upon your father's first name. Magnusson, being literally the son of Magnus. I.E. a son of David Oddsson would be <first name> Davidson, and not <first name> Oddsson. How do you trace family relationships back through time with this system, if it is true?

What do you do after that? Son of Davidson's son?

Could you give me a thoroughly detailed history of Iceland starting from its formation as a geological entity through an analysis of current day politics to predictions for the future?
The environment of Iceland has changed enormously since the country was first settled in the 9th century. The history of human impact involves climate changes, land use, volcanic eruptions, and modern technology.
When the icelanders settled the country the climate was similar to today's climate. The Earth cooled significantly during the little Ice Age (1300 to 1900 AD) transforming Iceland into truly grim place. This climate change combined with poor landuse practices reduced Iceland to place of misery and death. This is illustrated well in the writings of a priest during the worst times of the 16th century.
Formerly the earth produced all sorts
of fruit, plants and roots.
But now almost nothing grows...
Then the floods, the lakes and the blue waves
brought abundant fish.
But now hardly one can be seen.
The misery increases more.
The same applies to other goods...
Frost and cold torment people
The good years are rare.
If everything should be put in a verse
Only a few take care of the miserables....
from a translation of Berthorsson (1962 p. 21)
Climate and Climate Change
In order to understand Iceland's environental history we first need to learn something about climate.
Solar Radiation
Earth's climate is a dynamic interaction between solar radiation and the atmosphere, hydrosphere (oceans, rivers, and lakes), biosphere (all life), cryosphere (glaciers and sea ice), and the lithosphere (rocks and sediments). Study of how these systems work is included in the fields of atmospheric science, oceanography, geology, and glaciology. The study of the past history of these spheres includes the fields paleoclimatology, paleoceanography, and paleoglaciology.
Solar radiation is the source of all energy that drives weather, ocean currents, as well as support all life forms. Without the sun we would cease to exist. The climate of the Earth is a result of the balance between incoming radiation and outgoing radiation. If more radiation fell upon the Earth and the amount reflected didn't change the Earth would become warmer. If radiation decreased or more was reflected into space the Earth would become cooler.
Radiation from the sun includes all parts of the electromagnetic spectrum including visible light. The atmosphere is transparent to most wavelengths in the visible spectrum, but it absorbs harmful ultraviolet light as well as other parts of the spectrum.
Some light is reflected back into space off of clouds. Other radiation is reflected from Earth's surface, especially sea ice and glaciers. The percentage of incoming radiation absorbed by earth depends on the abundance and distributuion of clouds, land, water, ice, and vegetation. Albedo is the percent of radiation reflected compared to that absorbed. The ocean has a low albedo (7 to 23%) because water is dark and absorbs most of the incoming light. Land has an albedo that varies from low to moderate albedo (8 to 35%). Ice has a very high albedo (40 to 90%) because it reflects most of the light that falls upon it. The global albedo which is a spatial average of all of Earth's oceans, land, ice, and vegetation is about 30%.
Incoming radiation is either reflected or absorbed and reradiated as long wave infrared radiation. Infrared radiation is heat. You've surely experienced infrared radiation in the evening following a warm sunny day. In the city during a hot summer day sunlight warms up concrete and asphalt, later in the evening after the sun goes down, you can feel heat being radiated off of asphalt or concrete. If it has been a really hot day the amount of infrared heat can be considerable.
The atmosphere is not completely transparent to some of this infrared radiation. Because of this gasses in the atmosphere such as water vapor and CO2 trap the heat. This is known as the "Greenhouse effect". Actually it's a good thing the greenhouse effect is working because this is what makes the temperature of Earth stay within the range that it does. The problem comes when the greenhouse effect works too well and heats up the earth more than we would like.
Origin of Winds and Ocean Currents,
Earth is heated unevenly by incoming solar radiation. The equator receives more incoming radiation than is lost as infrared radiation. Because of this the tropics are known for their heat. The polar regions lose more energy by radiation of infrared than they receive from incoming solar radiation. It's no wonder then that it is so cold at either pole. Because of this uneven heating of Earth, heat moves from the equator to the poles. This heat is transported by winds, ocean currents, and large storms. Heat moves because of differences in temperature. Heat moves from areas of high temperature to areas of lower temperature. This is why your house will lose all of its heat to the colder outdoors unless you slow it down with insulation or increase the amount of heat to offset what is lost. Heat may be transported by radiation, conduction, or convection. Gravity creates convection cells in atmosphere and hydrosphere. This is how most heat is transferred from low to high latitudes. The Correolis Effect causes moving bodies traveling from one latitude to another to be appear to be deflected to the right in the northern Hemisphere and to the left in the southern hemisphere.
As air spirals northward from the equator, the position of high and low pressure cells determine the local weather and the movement of storms. High pressure cells develop where cold dense air is sinking and low pressure cells develop where warm lighter air is rising.
Present Climate of Iceland
What is climate? Weather is the day to day temp, precip, winds, and events that occur within a region. Climate is the characteristic weather of a region. Climate is also defined as a statistical average over a period of about 30 years of temp. precip., winds, storms, etc. It also includes a measure of extremes in weather.
For example the climate in Boston is a average annual temp of about 10 C (50 F). Precipitation is about 1112 mm (44 in). The climate is classified as cool humid maritime climate. The climate of Reykavik, Iceland is an average annual temp of about 4 C (39 F) and precipitation of 799 mm (31.5 inches). This is classified as a cold humid maritime climate. its similar to Boston's climate except cooler and a bit drier.
Evidence of past climates
Numerous lines of evidence are used to reconstruct past climate in an area. Information used includes direct measurements, indirect evidence, geological evidence, and computer models.
Direct measurements of temperature go back as far as 200 years, depending on the site. These records are high resolution and high precision. They do include some variations in measurement techniques.
Indirect evidence from recorded history go back to as far as 5,000 years. In icleand the historical record goes back 10 centuries. Examples include records of good and bad harvests, records of times when sea-ice what common and when it wasn't, the sagas and oral tradition, and finally the history of glacier advance and retreats. These records generally have good resolution, but are of variable quality. They also generally don't give us a number say for temprature, but can be used in a qualitative way to compare with present for example. Geological evidence goes back as far as 4 billion years ago. In icealnd the record goes back to several millions of years. Examples include fossils (both plant and animal fossils, and fossil pollen). Sediments tell us something about the enviroments where they were deposited. Examples include glacial tills and outwash, ocean and lake sediments, and moraines other landforms. Ocean cores provide both fossils and records of ocean chemistry that relate to climate. Finally, ice cores provide records of dust and chemicals trapped in ice that has piled up for tens of thousand of years. The geological record is of variable resolution and variable quality.
Numerical models or computer models of how wer think climate behaves also can be used to reconstruct past climates. Whiles today's models are sofisticated they commmonly assume many things about the differnet parts of the climate system work. Climate models must generally be linked to ce sheet models, and models of oceans.
Effect of Geological Variables on Earth's Climate
Earth's climate has changed considerably in the past. Abundant geologic and fossil data indicate that there has been a gradual decline in global temperatures throughout the Cenozoic. By about 36 million years ago (beginning of the Oligocene) glaciers and ice caps had formed on Antarctica. By about 9 million years ago glaciers had formed in Greenland, and Alaska, and the Antarctic Ice Sheet had formed. By some time shortly after 2.4 million years ago large ice caps formed in North America, Europe, and on Iceland. Since 2.4 million years ago global climate has oscillated from ice dominated periods called glacials to relatively low-ice periods called integlacials.
Why has global climate changed?
Volcanos - produce dust to reflect light in stratosphere. Mt. Pinotubo reduced the amount of solar radiation to lead to perhaps a .5 degree cooling. This effect lasts only a few years.
Configuration of continents and sea-floor spreading rates - Blocking of warm currents; Arctic ocean, Isolation of Antarctica.
Mountain Building - Mountains can change storm tracks, and local temperatures, and rainfall.
Weathering rates - Weathering of rocks draws down CO2. Therefore when mountains are weathering fast CO2 decreases.
Changes in deep water circulation and ocean currents
Astronomical effects on earth's climate - Changes in orbital values that effect the amount of solar radiation received in a season.
James Croll - theory of glaciations
Milutin Milankovitch - Milankovich Cycles
Orbital eccentricity - Eccentricity varies from a circular orbit (where amount of solar radiation is equal at perihelion and aphelion) to an elliptical orbit (where the total amount of radiation received at aphelion and perihelion varies by up to 30%). The periodicity of this cycle is 95,800 years.
Inclination (obliquity) - Changes in the earth's axial inclination varies from 21.39o to 24.36o. This may change the amount of radiation received at higher latitudes. The period of this cycle is 41,000 years.
Precession of the equinoxes - Variations in the timing of perihelion (when earth is closest to sun) and aphelion (when earth is farthest from sun). Aphelion is currently July 4. Perihelion is currently on January 3. This cycle has a period of 21,700 years.
Net effect of precession cycle is that summer insolation has varied in Northern Hemisphere by about 8% over the last 100,000 years. (or about 40 W /m2 in forcing, average values for any location varies from 180 to 350 W/m2 ) For comparison the effect of doubling CO2 is about 4 W/m2 (this occurs year round so climate is much more sensitive to this than changes in incoming radiation). Over the long term values of summer insolation may exceed the mean value by as much as 13%. Any increase in summer insolation is offset by a decrease in winter insolation by an equal amount.
Net effect of tilt variations is to make poles cooler or warmer by about up to 17 W/m2.
Net effect of eccentricity is 0.2% or 0.7 W/m2 of incoming solar radiation.
Ice Volume record as recorded in oxygen-isotopes. Hays et al. 1976. Analysis of the record show peaks in ice volume at 19 KY, 23KY, 41KY, and 105KY. This indicates a primary orbital forcing of insolation changes on ice volume (Imbrie et al. 1984).
Many climatologist and Quaternary Scientists now believe that large scale factors such as those in B through E set the stage for when ice ages could occur. Then astronomical forcing took over and has caused the climate to oscillate back and forth between glacial and interglacial.
Climate Reconstruction in Iceland
How do we reconstruct and determine how the landscape of Iceland has changed since humans have settled the island?
1. Historical records - records of how the landscape appeared to the first settlers as recorded in the Eddas and Sagas. Good qualitative data but poor quantitative data.
2. Pollen cores - record of vegetation changes. Interpretations based on abundance of fossil pollen.
3. Tephrochronology - using known volcanic eruptions to date sediment layers. Layers of ash provide time markers over large areas.
4. Reconstructions of past soil erosion rates- estimate how much soil has been lost by estimating changing rates of deposition of eolian sediment in bogs.
5. Modern erosion studies - what types of slope processes and erosion are presently occurring.
Climate change in Iceland since 5000 BP
5000 to 2500 BP (Late Birch Period) - Middle Holocene climatic optimum ¾ of Iceland was vegetated with Birch, willow plentiful (on dry uplands), sedges less plentiful (in bogs). Forest limit was 600 m above sea level. Temperatures may have been 2o to 3o C warmer. No ice caps, just small glaciers on highest mountains.
2500 to 850 BP ( Late Bog Period) - Climate begins to deteriorate from optimum. Six Ice caps form on volcanic highlands. Birch declines, sedges become more plentiful. Bogs become more plentiful. Increase in rainfall and decrease in evaporation.
850 BP Settlement Period - Birch and willow cover up to 1/4 of Iceland. Other areas are wasteland, grasses, or sedges in bogs. Only native mammal was the arctic fox, seals occasional polar bear near the coast. There are 450 plant species in Iceland today. About ½ of these managed to survive the Ice Age in refugia (these were probably in the NW and NE. Of the remaining ½, 90 species were introduced by humans. The others were brought by winds, currents, birds, or icebergs.
1300 to 1900 AD Little Ice Age
1900 to present Modern Era Iceland now consists of 1% shrub and woodland, <25% vegetated 750,000 sheep.
Iceland since settlement - Records of Climate
Historical records
Book of Icelanders 1120 AD
Neil's saga mention tree cover
Records of sheep population
Farm abandonment records
Radiocarbon dating methods
Besides historical records one of the most important techniques used to date sediments and archaeological materials is the radiocarbon dating method. Isotopes of carbon "normal" carbon is 12C. One radioactive isotope of carbon is 14C. 14C is produced in the atmosphere as cosmic radiation interacts with Nitrogen (14N) in the upper atmosphere.
Eqn for reaction:
Because carbon is one of the most common elements in organic tissues, all living things incorporate 14C into their bodies. Since the rate at which 14C is produced is reasonably constant, then all living organisms contain about the same % 14C per gram of organic tissue (at least while the are alive). This means that for a gram of living organic matter the radioactivity (measured as activity) is roughly the same for all organic matter. This value has been measured to be about 14 dpm/g of carbon (actual is 13.56 ± 0.07 dpm/g where dpm is decays per minute).
When a plant or animal dies it no longer exchanges carbon with the atmosphere. Therefore any 14C that decays back into 14N is not replaced by new 14C. Over time the amount of 14C per gram of tissue decays. Because of this the radioactivity also decays (see attached figure). The equation describing the decay of 14C is:
By knowing the decay rate (half-life) scientists can estimate how long ago something has been dead (and therefore not receiving new 14C) by measuring a samples radioactivity (or abbreviated as its activity).
The half-life for 14C is 5730 years. This means that in one half-life (5730 years) the sample will have only one half the original 14C left and the rest will have decayed to 14N.
The half life of an isotope is determined experimentally. Is assumed to be a physical property that does not change over time.
Here are some examples:
For example a sample has a measured radioactivity of 6.78 dpm/g of carbon. This means that it has half the original radioactivity it began with. It should take about 5730 years for the radioactivity to decrease by half. Therefore the sample is about 5730 years old.
If a sample had a measured radioactivity of 3.5 dpm/g of carbon. This means that the sample only has ¼ of the original 14C it began with. It would take 5730 for the sample to decay from about 14 dpm/g to 7 dpm/g radioactivity. It would then take another 5730 years for the sample to decay to ½ of 7 dpm/g (to the measured value of 3.5 dpm/g). This means that our sample must be two half-lives old or about 11,460 years old.
The following formulae can be used to calculate the age of a sample if the sample's activity (Am) is measured and the original activity (Ao) is know. Anything that decays exponentially (rate of decay changes with time) can be described with an equation of this form:
Am = Ao e - l t
Where e is the exponential function. This can be rearranged to:
age of sample = t = 1 / l ln (Am / Ao )
where l is the decay constant for 14C (1.209 x 10-4 y-1)
Example:
Ao is 13.56 ± 0.07 dpi/g
Am is 2.42 ± 0.04 dpi/g
t = 1 / 1.209 x 10-4 y-1 x ln (13.56 / 2.4)
= 1 / 1.209 x 10-4 y-1 x ln (5.65)
= 14,254 years ago
The assumptions of the radiocarbon method are:
The half-life is known and remains constant.
The production rate of 14C remains constant and activity remains about 14 dpm / g 14C production rate various based on amount of cosmic rays that enter the atmosphere this changes. Amount produced also varies by latitude. Measured values vary around a mean of 15 ± 0.5 dpm/ g. A record of production rate of 14C in atmosphere as reconstructed from wood samples of known age indicate a change 10 % over the last 1000 years.
deVries effect - not understood but may be related to solar output.
Suess effect - introduction of fossil fuels from burning of coal and oil
correction based on tree ring record
Organic matter does not distinguish between 14C and 12C. Some plants and animals do (isotope fractionation).
Suitable material for dating:
see chart in handout
Limits of the technique:
Only good to about 30,000 to 40,000 years because activity becomes so low that it is hard to measure. New techniques have allowed small samples to be measured back as far as 40,000 years.
Tephrochronology
During a volcanic eruption ash and pumice are formed. These deposits may cover large areas around the volcano (see figure 24-25, p. 266). Geologists can determine the age of tephra layers based on historical records, radiocarbon dating of layers above and below them, or radiometric dating of the layer itself. Each tephra layer also may have certain chemical characteristics that enable it to be identified in the field.,p>
Characteristics ash layers in Iceland
Hekla tephras
H5 - 6600 BP
H4 - 4000 BP
H3 - 2800 BP covers 80% of the country
H1 - 1104 AD
These are light colored (acid tephras) ashes and are distributed over large areas. They usually thicken towards their source.
Major impacts of humans on Iceland
Deforestation
Soil erosion
Change in vegetation - increase in grasses
Hydroelectric projects
Urbanization
Factors in Landscape change
Climate change - Deterioration since 2500 BP. Little Ice Age 1250 to 1900 AD.
Felling of woods - Charcoal for iron ore smelting, wood for building.
Introduction of sheep and horses - Today there are about 750,000 sheep in Iceland. As early as 13th century there were more than 50,000 sheep. Sheep do not let trees begin.
Volcanic eruptions - Lava can cover and tephra can kill vegetation in some areas. Eruptions occur about every 5 years.
Wind erosion - loess - created by grinding action of glaciers. It is deposited by meltwater streams and then is blown over the landscape. It usually is thickest near its source.
Results of Landscape Change
1. Less than 1% of Iceland is tree or shrub covered.
2. Forest holds water and allows it to percolate slowly down. Grassland allows water to run off and form gullies. Gullies then become susceptible to wind erosion.
3. Soils contain high amounts of volcanic material.
4. Soil erosion is still one of Iceland's biggest problems (please be respectful of this when hiking around the country, stay on trails if possible in areas of easily erodible land).
5. Farm abandonment. In the Rangarvellir district 40 farms were abandoned in 19th century because of soil erosion.
6. Increase in mass movements.

Iceland's first inhabitants were Irish monks, who regarded the island as a sort of hermitage until the early 9th century. They were followed by Iceland's first permanent settlers, who came from Norway. This was the Age of Settlement, traditionally defined as the period between 870 and 930, when political strife on the Scandinavian mainland caused many to flee.
After escaping political strife in Scandinavia, Iceland's settlers were in no mood for a monarchy and opted instead for a parliamentary system of government. A district assembly and Alþing (National Assembly) were founded, and a code of law prepared. Iceland became a Christian country in 999, which engendered some semblance of national unity at a time when squabbles were arising among its leaders and allegiances were being questioned. The country flourished during the next century, and established a thriving agrarian economy with little unrest.
Iceland then became a launching pad for explorations of the North Atlantic: Eric the Red, who grew up in Iceland as the son of a Norwegian exile, colonised Greenland in 982, and Eric's Icelandic son, Leif Eriksson, is popularly held to be the first European to explore the coast of North America - which he named Vinland the Good. One of the more reliable Icelandic sagas, however, suggests that Leif Eriksson learned of Vinland from another Icelander, Bjarni Herjolfsson, who had sighted it some 14 years earlier. Whatever the truth is, these voyages of exploration became the source material of one of Europe's great literary flowerings.
The first literary tradition to emerge was poetry, which tended to be heroic in theme. Poetry was displaced during the Saga Age of the late 12th to late 13th centuries, when epic and dramatic tales of early settlement, romance, dispute and the development of Iceland were recorded. These provided both a sense of cultural heritage for Icelandic commoners and entertaining yarns on bitterly cold winter nights.
By the early 13th century, the enlightened period of peace that had lasted 200 years came to an end. The country entered the infamous Sturlung Age, a turbulent era of political treachery and violence. The opportunistic Norwegian King Hákon Hákonarson promptly stepped in, and Iceland became a Norwegian province, plundered mercilessly. To add insult to injury, the volcano Mt Hekla erupted in 1300, 1341 and 1389, causing widespread death and destruction. Recurring epidemics also plagued the country, and the Black Death struck Norway in 1349, effectively cutting off trade and supplies.
At the end of the 14th century, Iceland was brought under Danish rule. Disputes between church and state resulted in the Reformation of 1550, and the imposing of Lutheranism as the country's religious doctrine. Throughout the next two centuries, Iceland was crippled by rampant Danish profiteering, beset by international pirates and subject to an increasing number of natural disasters.
Denmark's grip on Iceland was broken in 1874 when Iceland drafted a constitution and was permitted to handle its own domestic matters. Iceland was released from Danish rule in 1918, making it an independent state within the Kingdom of Denmark, with Copenhagen retaining responsibility for defence and foreign affairs. However, in 1940, Denmark was occupied by Germany. Iceland realised that the Kingdom was in no position to continue overseeing its affairs and, a year later, decleard independence. It was on 17 June 1944.
After the occupation of Denmark and Iceland's declaration of sovereignty, the island's vulnerability became a matter of concern for the Allied powers. In response, British and US troops moved in. The Americans still remain, much to the chagrin of a growing number of Icelanders who want them out. The Brits incurred Icelandic wrath when they refused to recognise Iceland's expanded territorial fishing rights in the 1970s. For a few years, stoushes between Icelandic gunships and British warships during the so-called Cod Wars became a regular feature of the fishing season.
In recent years, Iceland's economy has looked shaky: fishing quotas have been cut back, unemployment has risen and the krónur has devalued. Clashes between environmental organisations and the Icelandic whaling industry, which split from the International Whaling Commission in 1992, also haven't helped matters. In 2000, hoping to reverse the economic downturn, the government approved an unprecedented deal with the corporation deCODE Genetics, allowing it to database detailed genetic information and, eventually, the DNA coding of 280,000 Icelanders. This relatively homogenous gene pool may earn the country hundreds of millions of dollars.
Meanwhile, Iceland is continuing its push to preserve its whaling industry. In 2002, the International Whaling Commission reinstated Iceland as a member, despite disagreements between the country and the IWC about the moratorium on whale hunting. The following year, a 'scientific' cull was undertaken to study the impact of whales on fish numbers.
Iceland is a republic. The president, elected to a 4-year term, has limited powers. The prime minister and cabinet exercise most executive functions. The Althing is composed of 63 members, elected every 4 years unless it is dissolved sooner. Suffrage for presidential and parliamentary elections is 18 years of age and is universal. Members of the Althing are elected on the basis of proportional representation from six constituencies. Until 1991, membership of the Althing was divided between a lower and upper house but this was changed to a fully unicameral system. The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court and district courts. The constitution protects the judiciary from infringement by the other two branches.
In nationwide town council elections in 1994, government coalition partners, the conservative Independence Party (IP), and the Social Democrat Party (SDP) lost support throughout the country, including the capital Reykjavik, which the IP had controlled for more than a half-century. In losing four seats in the April 1995 parliamentary elections, the IP and SDP mustered a simple majority in the 63-seat Althing. However, Prime Minister and IP leader Davíð Oddsson chose the resurgent Progressive Party as a more conservative partner to form a stronger and more stable majority with 40 seats. Splintered by factionalism over the economy and Iceland's role in the European Union (EU), the SDP also suffered from being the only party to support Iceland's EU membership application.
After four 4-year terms as the world's first and only elected woman president, the widely popular Vigdís Finnbogadóttir chose not to run for re-election in 1996. More than 86% of voters turned out in the June 29, 1996 presidential elections to give former leftist party chairman Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson a 41% plurality and relatively comfortable 12% victory margin over the closest of three other candidates. Traditionally limited to 6-12 weeks, Iceland's campaign season was marked by several intensely personal attacks on Grímsson, a former finance minister who tried to erase memories of his controversial support of inflationary policies and opposition to the U.S. military presence at the NATO base in Keflavík. Grímsson successfully has used his largely ceremonial office to promote Icelandic trade abroad and family values at home.
The last parliamentary elections took place May 10, 2003. The ruling coalition parties, the Independence Party and the Progressive Party lost four seats in Alþingi but nevertheless still hold a tight majority in parliament. The results of the 2003 election were as follows (changes in seat distribution indicated in brackets):
• Independence Party 33.68% 22 seats (-4)
• Alliance 30.95% 20 seats (+3)
• Progressive Party 17.73% 12 seats (0)
• Left-Green Movement 8.81% 5 seats (-1)
• Liberal Party 7.38% 4 seats (+2)
The opposition gained 4 seats in the elections but the government parties still hold a 34 seat majority in the 63 seat Alþingi. A total of 185.392 votes were cast constituting 87.7% of the electorate. The President of Alþingi is selected by the representatives and currently the office rests with Halldór Blöndal (Independence Party). The next parlimentary elections are scheduled in May 2007.
Iceland is a republic. The president, elected to a 4-year term, has limited powers. The prime minister and cabinet exercise most executive functions. The Althing is composed of 63 members, elected every 4 years unless it is dissolved sooner. Suffrage for presidential and parliamentary elections is 18 years of age and is universal. Members of the Althing are elected on the basis of proportional representation from six constituencies. Until 1991, membership of the Althing was divided between a lower and upper house but this was changed to a fully unicameral system. The judiciary consists of the Supreme Court and district courts. The constitution protects the judiciary from infringement by the other two branches.
In nationwide town council elections in 1994, government coalition partners, the conservative Independence Party (IP), and the Social Democrat Party (SDP) lost support throughout the country, including the capital Reykjavik, which the IP had controlled for more than a half-century. In losing four seats in the April 1995 parliamentary elections, the IP and SDP mustered a simple majority in the 63-seat Althing. However, Prime Minister and IP leader Davíð Oddsson chose the resurgent Progressive Party as a more conservative partner to form a stronger and more stable majority with 40 seats. Splintered by factionalism over the economy and Iceland's role in the European Union (EU), the SDP also suffered from being the only party to support Iceland's EU membership application.
After four 4-year terms as the world's first and only elected woman president, the widely popular Vigdís Finnbogadóttir chose not to run for re-election in 1996. More than 86% of voters turned out in the June 29, 1996 presidential elections to give former leftist party chairman Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson a 41% plurality and relatively comfortable 12% victory margin over the closest of three other candidates. Traditionally limited to 6-12 weeks, Iceland's campaign season was marked by several intensely personal attacks on Grímsson, a former finance minister who tried to erase memories of his controversial support of inflationary policies and opposition to the U.S. military presence at the NATO base in Keflavík. Grímsson successfully has used his largely ceremonial office to promote Icelandic trade abroad and family values at home.
The last parliamentary elections took place May 10, 2003. The ruling coalition parties, the Independence Party and the Progressive Party lost four seats in Alþingi but nevertheless still hold a tight majority in parliament. The results of the 2003 election were as follows (changes in seat distribution indicated in brackets):
• Independence Party 33.68% 22 seats (-4)
• Alliance 30.95% 20 seats (+3)
• Progressive Party 17.73% 12 seats (0)
• Left-Green Movement 8.81% 5 seats (-1)
• Liberal Party 7.38% 4 seats (+2)
The opposition gained 4 seats in the elections but the government parties still hold a 34 seat majority in the 63 seat Alþingi. A total of 185.392 votes were cast constituting 87.7% of the electorate. The President of Alþingi is selected by the representatives and currently the office rests with Halldór Blöndal (Independence Party). The next parlimentary elections are scheduled in May 2007.

What do you do after that? Son of Davidson's son?

If the son of Davíð has a son then that son would take the name of his father on so on.
Eg.
Davíð Oddsson father of Magnús Davíðsson father of Árni Magnússon son of Mgnús and grandchild of Davíð.

Do you know the Norse(?) myth on how Iceland was created? If so, could you explain, as I'm extremely vague on this - something about a fossilised sea monster sent by the gods?
Do you know if there's any shortcuts on a standard QWERTY keyboard for the Icelandic characters such as ð? (I got that one with copy+paste)
The story is not of how it was created but how it was defended.

The four Guardians of Iceland, one for each quarter,
of the country are described in an old tale telling of a magician
who was sent by King Harold Gormsson of Denmark to
investigate the country prior to invasion.
The magician swam to Iceland in the form of a whale,
and when he reached the country he saw that
all hills and mountains were full of spirits, large and small.
He came to Vopnafjörður (Fjord of Weapons) on the East coast
and a huge dragon approached him,
accompanied by reptiles, worms and lizards.
He then swam north to Eyjafjörður (Fjord of Isles)
and was approached there by a bird so huge,
that the wings touched the mountains on each side of the valley.
The bird was accompanied by numerous
other birds of all sizes, large and small.
He went west and south and came to Breiðafjörður (Wide Fjord),
where he was approached by a huge bull
which waded into the sea and made loud noises,
the bull was accompanied by by a large number of spirits.
He went from there and south of Reykjanes (Smoke Peninsula)
and wanted to take land at Víkarsskeið (The Sands of Vikar),
but was approached by a huge rock giant
whose head was higher than the mountains and carried a large iron staff,
and he was accompanied by a host of other giants.
Then the magician went east along the south coast,
where he could find no landing places.
Thus the intentions of the King of the Danes
came to naught due to the efforts of the Guardian Spirits of Iceland.
This story is embodied in The Seal of Iceland,
where the Dragon represents the Eastern part,
the Bird the Northern part,
the Bull represents the Western part
and the Rock Giant the Southern part.


You can use Icelandic letters http://www.fingertipsoft.com/3dkbd/ansitable.html

You can not use Icelandic letters on foreign key boards nor do I think there is a shortcut. Sorry.

It's totally possible, for instance when I'm abroad and have to use a non-Swedish keyboard, I know that I get å by pressing ALT+0229, ä by ALT+0228 and ö by ALT+0246. I'm sure there is a simlar method for Icelandic characters, I just clearly don't know them of the top of my head!

It's totally possible, for instance when I'm abroad and have to use a non-Swedish keyboard, I know that I get å by pressing ALT+0229, ä by ALT+0228 and ö by ALT+0246. I'm sure there is a simlar method for Icelandic characters, I just clearly don't know them of the top of my head!
It's called the ANSI character set and you can check it out here: http://www.fingertipsoft.com/3dkbd/ansitable.html

Other than that, I'm completely ignorant in all things Icelandic, except that Björk's from there.

It's totally possible, for instance when I'm abroad and have to use a non-Swedish keyboard, I know that I get å by pressing ALT+0229, ä by ALT+0228 and ö by ALT+0246. I'm sure there is a simlar method for Icelandic characters, I just clearly don't know them of the top of my head!


Like I said, I don't think you can I don´t know.
Sweden has over 4 million people, Iceland has 300.000. I doabt that they take the time to make a code for Icelandic letters.

Edit.. http://www.fingertipsoft.com/3dkbd/ansitable.html

You can find it here.

Like I said, I don't think you can I don´t know.
Sweden has over 4 million people, Iceland has 300.000. I doabt that they take the time to make a code for Icelandic letters.

We have nearly ten million people!! Plus the nearly 300 000 Finns who have Swedish as their mother tongue.

Nonetheless, I have just checked, the Icelandic letters do have codes... e.g.: ALT + 0240.

We have nearly ten million people!! Plus the nearly 300 000 Finns who have Swedish as their mother tongue.

Nonetheless, I have just checked, the Icelandic letters do have codes... e.g.: ALT + 0240.

Okay, must have been thinking of Norway. Sorry.

Okay, must have been thinking of Norway. Sorry.

That's ok :) Someone has to! They are the babies of us mainland Nordic countries in population.

They are the babies of us mainland Nordic countries in population.

If you are talking about Iceland then let me correct you. We are from just the Norwegians not the other Nordic nations.

If you are talking about Iceland then let me correct you. We are from just the Norwegians not the other Nordic nations.

Ha? I don't understand. All I meant to say is that Norway have the fewest people out of the mainland Nordic countries (i.e. not including Iceland).

Want to read something funny: http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/1076152693811

Ha? I don't understand. All I meant to say is that Norway have the fewest people out of the mainland Nordic countries (i.e. not including Iceland).

Want to read something funny: http://www.helsinginsanomat.fi/english/article/1076152693811

My bad, thought you were talking about Iceland.
Like hell we will join that country!
Join the EU, speak Swedish, have Oslo as the capital, nukes, have a foreign queen, use the Euro, etc. NEVER!!!!
Count Iceland out of that one.

Are there any good internet radio stations where one can listen to Icelandic music?

Are there any good internet radio stations where one can listen to Icelandic music?
http://medea.straumar.is/utvarp/bylgjan.asx

Icelandic and other music.

whats Iceland's ethnic make up?

are there many people currently trying to imagrate there?

Thanks everyone for fingertipsoft.com, and ta Mr. North Island for the lil story. Now, what's your opinion on Bjork, and is there any good Icelandic music - preferably punk and/or ska?

What's Iceland's favourite sport?

Is Pika-chu popular? Or are there "pikapankki" signs at cash dispensers?

Is Pika-chu popular? Or are there "pikapankki" signs at cash dispensers?

It was popular with kids for a short period of time...
That little yellow creature that says "pika pika" all the time was really popular... Many suspect that the reason for that was that in icelandic "pika" means "vagina".

whats Iceland's ethnic make up?

are there many people currently trying to imagrate there?

I think about 10% of the population are immigrants.
Most immigrants are Polish and from Thailand.

Is the skiing any good?

It was popular with kids for a short period of time...
That little yellow creature that says "pika pika" all the time was really popular... Many suspect that the reason for that was that in icelandic "pika" means "vagina".
Huh. And in Spanish "pika" means "itches" or "stings". Interesting possibilities.

Is the skiing any good?

In some places.
But it's nothing like the alps or such places, and there are no real resorts either.
There were places around Reykjavik in which you could ski, but rising temperatures have made it so that it hasn't been possible for a few years now.

Huh. And in Spanish "pika" means "itches" or "stings". Interesting possibilities.

:eek: Ouch!

What's Iceland's favourite sport?
Soccer

whats Iceland's ethnic make up?

are there many people currently trying to imagrate there?


Homogeneous mixture of descendants of Norse and Celts 94%, population of foreign origin 6%.

No not really. Very hard to imagrate here and we are also very few so we can't just keep letting people enter.

Thanks everyone for fingertipsoft.com, and ta Mr. North Island for the lil story. Now, what's your opinion on Bjork, and is there any good Icelandic music - preferably punk and/or ska?


Björk is okay I guess, just very starnge. I don't like her music much.

Try 'Mínus' or Minus as they are known in English, they are good.

Björk is okay I guess, just very starnge. I don't like her music much.

Try 'Mínus' or Minus as they are known in English, they are good.


Speaking of Minus....

*tenuous link time*

how cold does it actually get? By the way answer would be appreciated in Celcius rather than Farenheit! :)

how cold does it actually get? By the way answer would be appreciated in Celcius rather than Farenheit! :)
It's much warmer (now) than e.g. Sweden or Finland. From +5 to -5 on winter (quessing)
and from 10 to 20 (rarely) on summer time

It's much warmer (now) than e.g. Sweden or Finland. From +5 to -5 on winter (quessing)
and from 10 to 20 (rarely) on summer time

hmmmm....not that cold then...you just know they are going to be sued by some glory hunter claiming that their name is false advirtising...

that said, and correct me if i am wrong, wasn't that the reason the viking who discovered Greenland called it such because he wanted to try and get people to move there?

hmmmm....not that cold then...you just know they are going to be sued by some glory hunter claiming that their name is false advirtising...

that said, and correct me if i am wrong, wasn't that the reason the viking who discovered Greenland called it such because he wanted to try and get people to move there?
I don't know but it sure sounds like a good plan :D

Actually I believe that it's just a story. I quess Greenland has actually been quite green when they found it.

I don't know but it sure sounds like a good plan :D

Actually I believe that it's just a story. I quess Greenland has actually been quite green when they found it.

Yes, Eiríkur Rauði (Eric the Red) named Greenland Green - Land to make people go there.

Speaking of Minus....

*tenuous link time*

how cold does it actually get? By the way answer would be appreciated in Celcius rather than Farenheit! :)


15 to - 15 is normal here. Now it's +3 C.

Thanks everyone for fingertipsoft.com, and ta Mr. North Island for the lil story. Now, what's your opinion on Bjork, and is there any good Icelandic music - preferably punk and/or ska?

I like Björk. If you are looking for punk, then her older work, with "kukl" and "tappi tíkarrass" from the 1980's. Also you might like "Fræbblarnir" (punk rock) or "utangarðsmenn" (sort of ska).