July 6, 2011
The Tjörnes peninsula is found in the northeast of Iceland, between the Öxarfjörður and Skjálfandi fjords. This geologically unique landscape contains sediments from the Pliocene and Lower Pleistocene Epochs and is packed with fossils. Unlike the rest of Iceland’s volcanic landscape, the organic deposits that make up Tjörnes are sedimentary, alternating layers of sand and other residues, including fossilized marine life. Petrified shells, conches and even seal bones can be found in the strata. The Tjörnes, Furuvik and Breidavík sediment beds make up the Tjörnes peninsula, and are exposed in banks, which display the changes in climate, vegetation and marine biota, from millions of years ago. The oldest fossils in Iceland are around 15 million years old, and are of plant origin. The fossilized remains of coniferous tress indicate that Iceland once hosted lush forest landscapes. This site is a great resource for geological study, and scientists often visit to make observations.
