Geography 1202/The Island of Iceland

The Atmosphere of Iceland

One of the most fantastic natural phenomenon, the aurora borealis (also known as the Northern Lights), occur high up in the earth’s atmosphere. Lucky observers can watch a spectacular light show in the sky, with vibrant colors seemingly dancing with the stars. The aurora borealis surrounds the north magnetic pole, and they can be seen in Iceland in September through March, on clear nights. The auroras are caused by highly charged electrons from solar wind (“streams” of energy released from the sun) interacting with elements in the atmosphere. Solar wind streams off of the sun at up to one million miles per hour, and it takes nearly forty hours for it to reach the Earth. When they finally do reach our planet, the energy flows along the magnetic lines of force that surround the Earth, that radiate from it’s core. As the wind flows through the magnetosphere (which is a highly charged electrical area), it interacts with two specific elements of the Earth’s atmosphere, Oxygen and Nitrogen. These interactions can occur very high in the atmosphere, nearly two hundred miles from the surface, but they can also start at only twenty miles above the surface. The color that is created by this interaction, is dependent upon what element the solar wind is hitting, and at what altitude the interaction is taking place. For several months of the year, you can see the aurora borealis from the island of Iceland. Iceland uses this amazing optical phenomenon as a tactic for drawing tourists in to visit the country.