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Nature

Langistígur trail, which goes through the crevasse Stekkjargjá, a popular riding and hiking path. Part of the Almannagjá crevasse row.
Almannagjá fissur seen to the north. Pathway in the middle of the gorge and visitors walking.
Islet in Hallvik which is in the norheastern part of lake Þingvallavatn.

Langistígur

A path runs south towards the historical assembly site.

Almannagjá

Almannagjá on a cloudy day.

Hallvik

A green islet in lake Þingvallavatn.

In the last few decades, research has made it clear that Þingvellir is a natural wonder on a international scale, with the geologic history and the biosystem of Lake Þingvallavatn forming a unique entity, a magnificent showcase. Being able to witness the evolution and formation of new species in a place like Lake Þingvallavatn is of immense value. The Þingvellir area is part of a fissure zone running through Iceland, being situated on the tectonic plate boundaries of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The faults and fissures of the area make evident the rifting of the earth's crust.
Picture showcasing how land subsides between Almannagjá and Hrafnagjá, a seven kilometer stretch

Tectonic Movements

Þingvellir is connected to volcanic and fissure belt that runs across Iceland called the Mid-Atlantic ridge.
Almannagjá seen from hakið

Geologic history

During the last glacial period, a layer of ice, more than a 1000 metres thick, covered the land.
Arial view of Lake Þingvallavatn

Lake Þingvallavatn

An old Icelandic proverb says "Fertile is water that runs under lava." The proverb is particularly appropriate for the water that flows into Lake Þingvallavatn.
Lake thingvallavatn and arnarfell mountain.

Watershed

Lake Þingvallavatn lies in a rift valley that extends south from the Langjökull glacier to mount Hengill, and from Botnssúlur in the west to Lyngdalsheiði in the east.
Fishes in lake Þingvallavatn, Brown trout, four morphs of arctic char and threespine stickleback

Fish in the lake

In the lake live three of the five species of freshwater fish found in Iceland: brown trout, Arctic charr and the three-spine stickleback.
Purple flowers, alpine bartsia.

Vegetation and wildlife

Birch woodland is characteristic of the Þingvellir area, indicated by the original name of the area in Icelandic: Bláskógar (literally "Blue Woods").

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