{"id":14491,"date":"2026-09-02T10:10:58","date_gmt":"2026-09-02T10:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/?post_type=lesson&#038;p=14491"},"modified":"2026-10-04T14:34:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-04T14:34:59","slug":"studlagil-canyon","status":"publish","type":"lesson","link":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/lesson\/studlagil-canyon\/","title":{"rendered":"Stu\u00f0lagil Canyon"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-caeeb75f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\"><div class=\"class-box class-image\">\r\n\t<ul class=\"data-list\">\r\n\t\t<li>\r\n\t\t\t<a class=\"\" title=\"Journey around the World\" href=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/journeys\/journey-around-the-world\/\" rel=\"noopener\">\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" class=\"class-logo medium\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/07\/Journey_around_the_World-Tall.png\" alt=\"Journey around the World\" title=\"Journey around the World\" \/>\r\n\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t<\/a>\r\n\t\t<\/li>\r\n\t<\/ul>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<!--<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<h2 class=\"class-title\">Stu\u00f0lagil Canyon<\/h2>\r\n<\/div>-->\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Key Information<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<h3 class=\"class-title\">Stu\u00f0lagil Canyon<\/h3>\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-table\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Type<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>Basalt column canyon<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Length<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>1,640 ft<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Depth<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>65 to 100 ft<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Discovery<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>2006, publicly revealed in 2016 by Einar P\u00e1ll Svavarsson<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Learning Point<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<ol>\n<li data-list=\"bullet\"><strong>Hidden for centuries<\/strong> beneath a <strong>roaring glacial river<\/strong> in East Iceland, <strong>Stu\u00f0lagil Canyon<\/strong> is a striking geological marvel featuring <strong>towering, geometric basalt columns<\/strong> formed by <strong>ancient cooling lava flows<\/strong>. It was <strong>accidentally revealed in 2009 <\/strong>when a nearby <strong>hydropower project <\/strong>diverted the <strong>river&#8217;s water<\/strong>, exposing the <strong>canyon&#8217;s dramatic stone walls and its signature vivid turquoise river<\/strong>. Today, it stands as a <strong>fascinating real-world example<\/strong> of how <strong>human infrastructure<\/strong> can <strong>unexpectedly reshape natural landscapes<\/strong>, transforming a <strong>secret wilderness<\/strong> into a <strong>world-famous destination<\/strong> balancing <strong>modern energy needs<\/strong> with <strong>delicate environmental tourism<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Project<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<ol>\n<li data-list=\"bullet\">Draw a picture of Stu\u00f0lagil Canyon.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:50%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-gutena-tabs gutena-tabs-block gutena-tabs-block-77de37-56 class-container class-tab\"><ul class=\"gutena-tabs-tab tab-flex\"><li class=\"gutena-tab-title active\" data-tab=\"1\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-content icon-top\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-text\"><div>Overview<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><li class=\"gutena-tab-title inactive\" data-tab=\"2\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-content icon-top\"><div class=\"gutena-tab-title-text\"><div>Basalt Structure<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/li><\/ul><div class=\"gutena-tabs-content is-layout-flow wp-block-gutena-tabs-is-layout-flow\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-gutena-tab gutena-tab-block gutena-tab-block-543fc0-6f active class-box class-image\" data-tab=\"1\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"684\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon-1024x684.jpg\" alt=\"Stu\u00f0lagil Canyon\" class=\"wp-image-14628\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon-1024x684.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon-768x513.jpg 768w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon.jpg 1200w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">By <a href=\"\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?title=User:Emstrur&amp;action=edit&amp;redlink=1\" class=\"new\" title=\"User:Emstrur (page does not exist)\">Emstrur<\/a> &#8211; <span class=\"int-own-work\" lang=\"en\">Own work<\/span>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by-sa\/4.0\" title=\"Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0\">CC BY-SA 4.0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=166348605\">Link<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-gutena-tab gutena-tab-block gutena-tab-block-05a1ad-fd inactive class-box class-image\" data-tab=\"2\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><a href=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Basalt.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"822\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Basalt-1024x822.jpg\" alt=\"Basalt\" class=\"wp-image-14629\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Basalt-1024x822.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Basalt-300x241.jpg 300w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Basalt-768x616.jpg 768w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Basalt-1536x1233.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Basalt.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/a><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">By <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/people\/47445767@N05\">James St. John<\/a> &#8211; <a rel=\"nofollow\" class=\"external text\" href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/jsjgeology\/48674276333\/\">Basalt 12<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/2.0\" title=\"Creative Commons Attribution 2.0\">CC BY 2.0<\/a>, <a href=\"https:\/\/commons.wikimedia.org\/w\/index.php?curid=82968765\">Link<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\" style=\"flex-basis:25%\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Location<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<div id='gallery-1' class='gallery galleryid-14491 gallery-columns-1 gallery-size-full'><figure class='gallery-item'>\n\t\t\t<div class='gallery-icon landscape'>\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1193\" height=\"806\" src=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon_Location.png\" class=\"attachment-full size-full\" alt=\"Location of Stu\u00f0lagil Canyon\" aria-describedby=\"gallery-1-14630\" srcset=\"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon_Location.png 1193w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon_Location-300x203.png 300w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon_Location-1024x692.png 1024w, https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/09\/Studlagil_Canyon_Location-768x519.png 768w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1193px) 100vw, 1193px\" \/>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<figcaption class='wp-caption-text gallery-caption' id='gallery-1-14630'>\n\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.openstreetmap.org\/copyright\" class=\"external\">OpenStreetMap<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\r\n\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-table\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">Location<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<td>J\u00f6kuldalur, East Iceland, Iceland<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Fun Facts<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<ol>\n<li data-list=\"bullet\">The canyon&#8217;s walls are made of thousands of tall, straight stone pillars that look like giant, tightly packed pencils or Lego blocks built by nature!<\/li>\n<li data-list=\"bullet\">For a very long time, almost nobody knew this canyon existed because it was completely hidden underwater.<\/li>\n<li data-list=\"bullet\">The river running through the canyon glows a bright, brilliant turquoise blue in the summer because of tiny pieces of crushed glacial rock floating in the water.<\/li>\n<li data-list=\"bullet\">The strange geometric shapes of the rocks formed naturally long ago when thick, hot lava slowly cooled down and cracked apart as it shrank.<\/li>\n<li data-list=\"bullet\">After an explorer took photos of it in 2016, the secret canyon suddenly became one of the most famous and photographed places in Iceland!<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-columns alignwide is-layout-flex wp-container-core-columns-is-layout-caeeb75f wp-block-columns-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Past Lessons<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-list\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"icon\">215<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td class=\"class-table-title\">September 21, 2026<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td>(North America)<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"hide-this-row\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"3\">No Past Lessons<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-column is-layout-flow wp-block-column-is-layout-flow\">\r\n<h4 class=\"wp-block-heading class-header\">Upcoming Lessons<\/h4>\r\n\r\n<div class=\"class-box\">\r\n\t<figure class=\"wp-block-table info-table\">\r\n\t\t<div class=\"table-wrapper\">\r\n\t\t\t<table class=\"class-list\">\r\n\t\t\t\t<tbody>\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\r\n\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<tr class=\"hide-this-row\">\r\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<td colspan=\"3\">No Upcoming Lessons<\/td>\r\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/tr>\r\n\t\t\t\t<\/tbody>\r\n\t\t\t<\/table>\r\n\t\t<\/div>\r\n\t<\/figure>\r\n<\/div>\r\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","class_list":["post-14491","lesson","type-lesson","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lesson\/14491","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/lesson"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/lesson"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/msealey.co.uk\/K12-Journeys\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=14491"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}