Iceland

Almost 20 years ago Iceland stumbled across a pocket of magma by chance. They found a vein of unlimited energy

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The search for alternative energy sources to classic fossil fuels has led countries to use the resources they have available at their fingertips: (it is not the only thing but) Spain has sun and wind, Japan has waves and Iceland has volcanoes, many volcanoes. But unleashing the full potential of geothermal energy It is difficult: to begin with, to understand how magma chambers work, science has studied lavas that have already erupted, however they lose essential information when they violently come to the surface. This data gap is a huge obstacle to taking advantage of it, but an accident that occurred in 2009 could change everything: a drilling Iceland Deep Drilling Project touched live magma when no one expected it at just 2,104 meters deep, in the Krafla volcanic field, in northeast Iceland. What began as a mishap has become a fascinating geological experiment in recent history and a real gateway to safely exploiting geothermal energy. The discovery. Upon contact with the magma, the drilling fluids cooled the molten material in a few seconds, generating fragments of volcanic glass. This glass is a treasure for analyzing magma: normally it is not possible to carry out an analysis with the material that comes out of volcanic eruptions because it is shot like shrapnel, changing temperature and pressure. But a new study led by Janine Birnbaum and her team at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München in Munich have analyzed these crystals, solving yet another little problem: that rapid cooling distorts the chemistry of the material. The analysis yielded good news: the magma was stored in conditions of saturation of volatiles at lithostatic pressure, that is, completely loaded with energy and gases, despite being so close to the surface. Why is it important. It has two most advantageous direct readings: that it has more usable energy than previously thought and that it can be drilled in a controlled manner without exploding. From an energy point of view, it is revolutionary because it validates the viability of Magma-enhanced Geothermal Systems, an evolution of conventional geothermal that seeks to extract heat directly from the vicinity of a magmatic body or superhot rocks (when they exceed 374 °C). A well under these conditions has an energy transport capacity between 5 and 10 times greater than traditional geothermal energy, as CATF explainsa nonprofit organization specializing in energy policy. But for the first time there is a robust mathematical tool to predict the behavior of magma during drilling. This is essential for security, critical when considering this resource as exploitable or not. In fact, it can applied already in a veteran projecthe Krafla Magma Testbedwhich has been running since 2014 with this goal in mind. Exploitation diagram of a superhot rock. CATF Context. Iceland sits on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, the border between the Eurasian and North American tectonic plates, making it one of the most geologically active territories on the planet. Nearly 30% of its electricity already comes from geothermal sources and almost 66% comes from renewable sources, according to IRENAbut this constitutes a giant step to continue delving into geothermal energy. Until now, conventional geothermal energy is limited to extracting heat from groundwater at temperatures between 150 and 300 °C. He IDDP (Iceland Deep Drilling Project) is the research program in which both scientific organizations and Icelandic energy companies have participated since the 2000s. Following the 2009 incident, the KMT project emerged in 2014 with an even greater ambition: not to stop at drilling near the magma, but inside it, but in an intentional and controlled way. How they do it. The methodology is based on the quenchingthe rapid tempering of the samples obtained by drilling the magma, which become vitrified. The scientific team analyzed its water content, carbon dioxide and the structure of vapor bubbles that formed during cooling. From these measurements, they built numerical simulations of how bubbles grow and are reabsorbed under different pressure and temperature trajectories, using H₂O and CO₂ diffusion models. already validated. These models use the speed at which bubbles try to escape the magma during drilling to reverse engineer what the exact pressure and volatile content were before the drill bit acted. The solution they obtained was magma at a lithostatic pressure of between 50 and 57 MPa and a temperature of approximately 900 °C. The KMT’s plan now is to use this model to design the two wells it plans to drill. Yes, but. The model is solid and the paper has passed peer review in the demanding Nature, but the engineering challenge remains stratospheric. Just because magma is safe to drill into in theory doesn’t mean it the engineering to do it on an industrial scale is resolved (spoiler: it is not): it is necessary to use materials and sensors capable of withstanding these extreme temperatures in a sustained manner and the chemistry of these environments is corrosive. On the other hand, there is geographical limitation: this technique is mainly applicable in rift zones or hot spots where the magma is at reachable depths (less than five kilometers). Expanding this technology worldwide will require drilling up to 10 kilometers, where the pressure and heat exceed the current capabilities of most oilfield and geothermal services companies. In Xataka | It is very cold outside the European Union: this is something that Norway and Switzerland are discovering with the gas crisis In Xataka | With oil skyrocketing, Japan has resurrected an old idea to extract infinite energy from the ocean Cover | Diego Delso and Einar Jónsson

Iceland was one of the last places on the planet that mosquitoes had not reached. That’s now history

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For centuries, Iceland has held the ‘privilege’ of being one of the few habitable places on Earth where mosquitoes did not exist, something that can be a source of envy for many, especially with the arrival of summer. All thanks to its particular climate, with constant cycles of freezing and thawing that prevented the larvae from maturing, it acted as an insurmountable biological shield. However, climate change and human action have just broken down this barrier and this Icelandic ‘exceptionality’ has ended. The discovery. The history of this biological invasion starts in October 2025where Björn Hjaltason, a resident of the Kjós region noticed the presence of some unusual insects in his garden. From there he wanted to see them closer, and to capture them he used a fairly rudimentary method based on some ropes soaked in red wine. With this trap he obtained three specimens that were immediately sent to the Icelandic Institute of Natural Sciences, where the entomologist Matthías Alfreðsson confirmed the unthinkable: they were two females and a male. Culiseta annulataa species of mosquito common in Europe, but which had never managed to establish itself on the island of ice and fire. How have they arrived? Their disembarkation in the country may have been conditioned to different situations, such as travel aboard ships that came from Europe or even in the landing gear of commercial airplanes. All this, added to increasingly higher temperatures in Iceland, means that we are facing a major ecosystem problem. A hot Arctic. This very rudimentary discovery has served as a substrate for a profound analysis that has been published in the magazine Science, where it is noted that the appearance of mosquitoes in Iceland is only the symptom of a radical transformation throughout the Arctic. And global warming is affecting this region at breakneck speed, since the Arctic is warming four times faster than the world average. This thermal increase is not only allowing invasive species to survive the Icelandic winters, but is causing a serious biological imbalance throughout the boreal region. A domino effect. The arrival of mosquitoes and the alteration of the populations of native arthropods is not only a problem of annoying bites for its inhabitants or tourists, but it is a threat for birds. Here the early thaw is causing the peak of insect abundance to no longer coincide with the breeding season of waders, leaving them without their main source of food when they need it most. Furthermore, the large swarms of mosquitoes in arctic areas are already affecting the behavior of reindeer, which spend vital energy fleeing from the swarms instead of feeding, compromising their winter survival. That is why experts point to the need to control the arthropods that arrive in the region and, above all, a tracking system for these ecological changes that are so relevant. Images | Andreas M In Xataka | Mosquitoes attack me in summer and I tried these TikTok tricks to get rid of them

The “bubble” of the eclipse parties reaches Spain and Iceland

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Next August 12 a long-awaited phenomenon will take place: the first of the three eclipses that make up what many have already dubbed the Iberian trio. In three consecutive years, a solar eclipse will be seen from Spain. Those of 2026 and 2027 will be total eclipses, while that of 2028 will be annular. Be that as it may, it is a statistically improbable event, which excites both astronomy lovers and the general population. That’s why many people have chosen to see it at such imaginative events as music and art festivals designed around the eclipse. The eclipses will not be seen equally in all parts of Spain. For example, in 2026 totality will only be reached in a strip that goes from the north of Galicia to almost all of the Balearic Islands, passing through Asturias, Cantabria, La Rioja, the north of Castilla y León and the Valencian Community, La Rioja, and a part of the Basque Country, Navarra, Madrid, Aragon, Catalonia and Castilla la Mancha. In the rest of Spain it will be seen only partially. Therefore, since the famous sunset of solar eclipses will only be experienced in places where totality is reached, Many of the lucky localities are already preparing events to welcome the eclipse. These are events for the local population, but also for tourists. The emptied Spain will be less empty than ever and tourists will forget about the most typical destinations for a few days to travel to places to which they perhaps would not have traveled under other circumstances. Many hotels have been there for months due to the influx of people who will travel to observe the eclipse outdoors, without many more pretensions. However, there are also those who plan to attend what is possibly the most special festival of their lives. The most unexpected festivals around the eclipse The 2026 eclipse won’t be too long. In Spain, the places where totality lasts the longest They will barely enjoy more than a minute of darkness. Still, multi-day festivals have been planned, with musical performances, scientific talks, workshops and, of course, viewing the eclipse at the appropriate time. These are some of the most striking. Eclipse Festival, in Prades. In this town of Tarragona you will only enjoy 51 seconds of totality. Even so, between August 10 and 13 its Astronomical Park will celebrate a festival with music, workshops, conferences, observations, shows, telescopes and a planetarium. It will also be an ideal time to observe the Perseids. EclipsaFest, in Aldea Santillana. This small village in the also small town of Manjirón, in Madrid, will have 1 minute and 15 seconds of totality. In your case it will be a simpler observation, without the rest of the incentives of a festival, but it will very big. It will only be held on August 12 and admission will cost 147 euros for adults and 117 for children, with a welcome pack that includes glasses and the possibility of guided observation. Playabout Radio Festivalin Ibiza. In Ibiza they will have 1 minute and 6 seconds of eclipse and They will celebrate it as they know best. Accompanied by house and techno music, which will last from August 10 to 14. Umbra Festival, in Agolada. This town in Pontevedra will take advantage of the Brocos Reservoir, which is actually a reservoir, to celebrate a 3 day festival in which visitors will enjoy techno and minimalist music. Of course, also the eclipse, although in this case totality will be fleeting, lasting only 34 seconds. Admission costs 62 euros. Iberia Eclipse Festival, in Vinuesa. In Soria, next to the Duero River, this festival will be celebrated which will consist of four scenarios spread across the hillside and the forest, as well as a camping area and pre-installed tents. For 5 days, attendees, who will have paid an entrance fee of 240 euros, will enjoy music, workshops and a wellness area, which will include yoga, meditation, massages, swimming experiences in nature and art exhibitions. Astral Plane, at the La Pinilla Mountain Station. In this Segovian station you will enjoy the minute and a half of totality in the middle of a set by Detroit techno artist Kevin Saunderson. Admission costs 175 euros. Sizigia Eclipse Meeting, in Alcalá de Gurrea. This town in Huesca has also chosen a reservoir to observe the eclipse in its vicinity, whose totality will last only 40 seconds. Even so, attendees will enjoy 5 days of underground music, among other activities. Admission costs 262 euros, and with an extra fee you can add accommodation in a tipi camp. Also in Iceland Iceland will have its own eclipse viewing events. There, in fact, there will be points where totality can be seen for more than 2 minutes. But perhaps because the weather is less favorable or because Icelanders have a less festive spirit, there will not be as many options to choose from. Some of the most interesting will be the hellissander festivalwhich will include live music and TED talks, and the Grindavíkurbær Blue Lagoonwhich will be held in a spa. Attendees will be able to see the eclipse in an idyllic setting, but they will have to pay 750 euros. The price includes a two-course meal, two drinks, a robe, towel and glasses to view the eclipse. Seeing this, Spanish festivals even seem cheap. Image | NASA and Alfonso Scarpa In Xataka | The trio of eclipses that await Spain on the horizon: an unprecedented and historic chain between 2026 and 2028

Iceland has solved it in the middle of the desert

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Trapping carbon dioxide emissions and literally turning them into stone seems like an invention straight out of the blue. Futuramawhere in the future everything is recycled. The problem is that this trick of underground alchemy hid a terrifying small print: his exorbitant thirst. To get carbon to mineralize underground, the system needs to swallow absurd amounts of liquid, specifically between 20 and 50 times more water than the mass of CO₂ we are trying to store. However, a new industrial-scale study published in the magazine Nature just rewritten the rules of the game. An international team, with researchers from Iceland, Saudi Arabia and Italy, has shown in the western Saudi desert that it is possible to petrify CO₂ without wasting a single drop of external fresh water. Salvation under the sands of Saudi Arabia. As the authors of the research detail, this area is a real challenge: it is full of large facilities that emit a lot of CO₂, such as refineries and desalination plants, but it lacks the underground saline aquifers or sedimentary traps that are traditionally used to inject carbon. Salvation was under his feet. About 24 kilometers from the Jizan Economic Complex and Refinery, geologists took advantage of an immense bed of highly fractured volcanic rocks (basalts) that have been there for between 21 and 30 million years. There they tested an ingenious system for recirculating subsoil fluids. The gigantic “soda” trick. To carry out the experiment, the engineers used two main wells, separated by just 130 meters: one functions as a “production” well (extracts water) and the other as an “injection” well. The process is a closed circuit and isolated from the atmosphere so that oxygen does not enter or gas escape. They extract the water that already lives in the depths, circulate it through pipes and, 150 meters underground, inject pure CO₂ into it in the form of bubbles until it completely dissolves. According to the project scientists, dissolving the gas in water has two brutal chemical and mechanical advantages: It gets heavy: CO₂-laden water is denser than regular still water, so it creates a non-buoyant fluid, greatly limiting the risk of the gas migrating to the surface and back into the atmosphere. It becomes acidic: This liquid is acidic and greatly accelerates the dissolution of the silicate minerals present in the basaltic rock. As the rock dissolves, it releases metals that provide the cations needed to form stable minerals, such as calcite. A question of geopolitical survival. The data from this pilot is a resounding success. The team injected 131 tons of CO₂ into the subsoil. After monitoring the area with trackers, they discovered that approximately 70% of all that injected carbon had been mineralized within ten months. Measurements showed that the concentration of dissolved inorganic carbon in the returning water had been reduced by 90% compared to what was initially injected. Reusing water from the reservoir itself offers substantial advantages. Not only do you forget about bringing external water, but you also reduce the risk of the pressure of fluids underground increasing dangerously. Furthermore, by injecting water that has the same composition as the original underground reserve, the risk of compatibility problems, such as losses of permeability in the reservoir, is reduced. The current dimension. As we recently analyzed in Xataka In the wake of military escalation in the region, the real Achilles heel of the Arabian Peninsula is not oil, but thirst. Countries like Saudi Arabia depend 70% on their desalination plants to survive. In a scenario where the supply of fresh water is a strategic vulnerability and a matter of biological survival, allocating massive volumes of water to bury emissions was simply unfeasible. Therefore, this advance opens the door for the Middle East – where a large part of global oil production is also concentrated – to be able to use its basalt rocks to store carbon without sacrificing a vital resource. A providential accident. Sometimes setbacks are the best of tests. In September 2023, the submersible pump in the extraction well broke down. When the technicians brought it to the surface, they found its interior full of rock grains cemented by up to 14% calcite, as well as other minerals such as siderite and ankerite. The isotope analyzes made it clear: these solid cements were formed from the CO₂ injected during the pilot project. The gas had literally petrified in the very bowels of the machine. An “energy bargain”. As if that were not enough, we must add energy savings. As the research details, injecting CO₂ with this method requires a surface pressure of only 12 to 14 bars. That’s 8 to 16 times less pressure than conventional carbon capture plants require. Basically, CO₂-laden water is drawn into the system driven by gravity. Regarding its future potential, engineers calculate that the underground pores of this particular area (estimated between 24,000 and 43,000 m³) would have enough space to house between 22,000 and 40,000 tons of mineralized CO₂. Geology dictates: the limit of the stone. Every geological technology has its own physical limits. As experts explain Natureas water, CO₂ and basalt interact, the total volume of solid minerals increases. This means that the pore space is reduced and can end up blocking water flow paths in the long term. To get around this problem, the researchers propose that we may have to resort to fracturing the rock (fracking), an option still little explored in basaltic systems. What is clear is that this technological innovation is proposed as a great complement to conventional capture systems, not as an exclusive alternative, since in the end it is the geological conditions that rule. But thanks to this pioneering experiment, there is something we can take for granted: the lack of rivers or fresh aquifers is no longer an excuse for not returning our emissions to the subsoil and turning them into stone. Image | Eric Gaba and Nature Xataka | Neither oil nor gas: if a total war breaks out between the US … Read more

Iceland, Norway and Switzerland have been boasting independence from the EU for decades. Global chaos is about to change everything

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The war between the United States, Israel and Iran is shaking the foundations of the historic independence of the nations that make up the European Free Trade Association (EFTA or EFTA). Faced with an increasingly volatile geopolitical panorama, Iceland, Norway and Switzerland find themselves at a crossroads and look, each at their own pace, towards the European Union in search of refuge. The question that now haunts European parliaments is no longer just political, but purely industrial: are they willing to sacrifice parts of their sovereignty in exchange for the protection and stability that Brussels offers? As explained to the newspaper Five Days Sophie Altermatt, economist at Julius Baer, ​​these countries face external pressures from increasingly interventionist superpowers. The United States has become a much less predictable ally on trade and security, while China’s growing ambitions endanger European industrial competitiveness and create vulnerabilities in supply chains. The rhetoric of US President Donald Trump, who has even suggested his intention to annex Greenland, has acted as a powerful catalyst for this change in mentality. As the magazine warns The Spectatorquoting a maxim from Mark Carney: “If you’re not at the table, you’re on the menu.” The return of hard power politics is forcing middle powers to reevaluate their place in the world. From the European side, the door is open. As detailed by the Icelandic public broadcaster RÚVEU Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos has stressed that the current geopolitical context is fundamentally different from the past and that EU membership offers “an anchor in a bloc based on values, prosperity and security.” Are we facing a real approach? Moving towards greater integration implies sitting at the table where decisions are made, but also assuming a clash of sovereignties. Ine Marie Eriksen Søreide, leader of the Norwegian Conservative Party, acknowledged in a parliamentary debate collected by Five Days that remaining outside the Union generates enormous vulnerabilities, since their country remains “on the margins of everything we want to enter into.” However, the price of admission is high. Political analyst Thomas Vermes explains in the Norwegian middle ABC Nyheter that the EU is transforming towards a federation where supranational organizations assume more and more authority. Entering means submitting to decisions by qualified majority – where large countries have more demographic weight – and growing pressure to eliminate the right to veto on key issues. In addition, it would imply assuming joint economic burdens, such as the common debt of 90 billion euros contracted to help Ukraine. In fact, the possible entry of Ukraine would radically transform the bloc’s economy. According to the same Norwegian mediathe incorporation of the 41 million hectares of Ukrainian agricultural land would flood the markets and force rural aid to be restructured. Three countries, three different rhythms The answer to this dilemma varies drastically depending on the resources each nation brings to the table. Iceland: The direct path and the referendum in sight The Icelandic government has stepped on the accelerator and passed a resolution to hold a referendum on August 29, 2026 on resuming EU membership, a measure supported by 57% of the population. Iceland would provide the EU with a vital logistics position in the emerging Arctic trade routes and strategic supply: already is the fourth largest supplier of aluminum of the block, material that accounts for more than half of its exports to Europe. Nevertheless, as reported RÚVthe Minister of Foreign Affairs, Þorgerður Katrín Gunnarsdóttir, has drawn a non-negotiable red line: she will not sign any agreement that involves ceding control over the island’s precious natural resources to the EU. Norway: The fractured debate Although the country rejected joining the EU in 1972 and 1994, the debate has been resurrected. According to The Spectatorthe conservative party (Høyre), now led by the determinedly pro-European Ine Eriksen Søreide, is “clearly a yes party.” Polls show an increase in support for accession, rising from 27% in 2023 to 41% in 2025. However, the current Labor government of Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre is strongly opposed. Despite not being a member, Norway is Europe’s absolute energy guarantor after the invasion of Ukraine: it supplies 51.8% of the pipeline gas and 14.6% of the crude oil consumed by the EU. Precisely for this, the internal opposition is fierce. Columnist Hans Christian Hansen warns in the financial journal Finansavisen that the EU is losing technological ground to the US and Asia. According to Hansen, while the US uses energy to attract industry, the EU uses it to “self-regulate with increasing rigor” and promote projects of uncertain profitability such as offshore wind. The question he asks his compatriots is brutal: “Do we want to link our energy policy, our industry and our future to a team that is already losing?” Switzerland: The pragmatic path and bilateral agreements Unlike the Nordics, Switzerland does not contemplate full accession so as not to compromise its historical neutrality, but it is making progress in its economic and technological integration. President Ursula von der Leyen and Swiss President Guy Parmelin They signed the “Bilateral III” package. This framework modernizes agreements on transport and free movement, and adds crucial pacts on health, food security and Swiss participation in the European space agency and the Horizon Europe and Erasmus+ programmes. In addition, it will allow it to fully enter the internal electricity market in the EU. The objective of the Federal Council is “stabilize and future-proof the proven bilateral track“. The Federal Council approved the sending of this package to the Parliamentor, proposing to subject it to an optional referendum to guarantee its democratic legitimacy on sensitive issues such as salary protection. Switzerland’s weight is undeniable: in 2023, bilateral trade in services reached €245 billion, representing almost 9% of the EU’s total services trade. Forecasts in sight? The geopolitical board will continue to move. If Iceland eventually joins the EU, the pressure on Norway will be immense. As conservative leader Søreide arguesNorway would be in a “completely different situation” if its EFTA partner makes the leap. For its part, Switzerland … Read more

For the first time in history there are mosquitoes in Iceland. And it was assumed that they couldn’t get there

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Iceland is being invaded. Not just for touristsbut because of something perhaps more undesirable: insects that had never been seen on the island. For the first time in their history, at least since records have been kept, Icelanders have encountered one of the bugs most undesirable and hated for all of us who have to sleep with the windows open in summer: mosquitoes. They have been few, but they can represent the advance of a full-fledged colonization. Unwanted guests. Bjorn Hjaltason is an amateur entomologist who was hunting for insects last week when he found something strange. On the wine-soaked rope he uses to catch moths and being able to observe it, three insects fell that have nothing to do with moths. They were mosquitoes, specifically two females and a male, but at first, Hjaltason described them as “some strange flies.” And as they count in BBCthe event was such that the local media opened with the news. Because yes, it is more serious than it may seem (and not because of the bites). Shelter. Iceland has remained one of the world’s mosquito-free bastions, one of only two mosquito-free havens. The other is Antarctica, and the reason is that these insects they don’t handle the cold well. Being cold-blooded, they need environmental heat to carry out their activity. When air temperatures are around 10º, their metabolism slows down so much that they become dysfunctional. Not only can they not fly, but they also cannot reproduce. In warmer climates, this is the time when they enter a kind of hibernation, looking for shelters in which to weather the storm until the heat returns. In Iceland it was not necessary because the average temperature was below 10º. BUT. Climate changethere is no more. Records from the Reykjavík observatory show that in the last 30 years there has been a gradual increase of temperatures, with average values ​​that have past from 2.4º to 4.1º. The average temperature has increased by 0.5º in the last decade, almost double of the planet average and there are areas that have broken all records. They are also occurring extreme episodeslike the 26.6º that in Córdoba would be pleasant and to go out with a jacket in the morning, but that in May of this year must have felt like real hell in Egilsstaoir. There were episodes like this before, but reports indicate that these events that were anomalies are becoming more common. You have to wait. Mosquitoes, of course, are at ease with those temperatures, but the big question is where they came from. Hjaltason found them in Kjós and speculates that they may have come on a freighter that landed at Grundartangi. The two cities are in western Iceland and the insect enthusiast points out that unusual ‘bugs’ usually come in those freighters. Another entomologist, Matthías Alfreodsson, to whom Hjaltason sent the mosquitoes confirmed that, although they belonged to a species that tolerates low temperatures somewhat better –Culiseta annulata-, they should not be in Iceland and we will have to wait until spring to check if the species has really established itself on the island. But Hjaltason is clear that if three of them went directly to his garden, “there will probably be more.” I feel sorry for you, fellow Icelanders. Images | Enzo Guidi In Xataka | The Japanese method to get rid of mosquitoes at home during the summer: katori senko

The eruption of a volcano was synonymous with danger 100 years ago. Today has made Iceland a theme park

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Exactly one year ago, Iceland took a unexplored path In his fight against mass tourism: in essence, tell the truth to the visitor. Thus began a marked campaign For a slogan: “No one will save you if you fall”, which unequivocally came to confirm the hordes of the dangers of getting too close to an erupting volcano. Today, Iceland wonders if it was worth “opening” both the world. The awakening that changed everything. In 2010, when Eyjafjalajökull volcano interrupted air traffic European with an ash cloud that paralyzed the continent, Iceland went from being a remote island and evoked in Nordic sagas to become a global stage. The images of glaciers, black beaches and hot springs spread by international chains aroused the curiosity of the world in a country that had just suffered the blow of The financial crisis. With the campaign Inspired by Icelandthe government and tourism industry They took the moment. From then on, the landing of low -cost airlines and Viral phenomena In social networks (including a Justin Bieber video clip between waterfalls and aircraft remains) they catapulted the island to essential destination. Mass tourism. In just fifteen years, the number of visitors went from less than half a million to More than 2.3 million annuallymultiplying the local population several times during the high season. Tourism revitalized villages, generated employment and transformed the economyto the point of becoming the Main motor of the country. Locations Like Vikonce agricultural, they saw how the stables gave way to guest houses, improvised coffees in school bus and attractions of adventure. Immigration accompanied This boom: in some municipalities, foreigners are already a majority, and the arrival of new residents has even caused an unexpected “baby boom”. For many mayors and local businessmen, current problems are preferable to the decline of peoples that previously seemed condemned to abandonment. The identity dilemma. However, obviously not everything is good news. Tourism has contributed economic vitality, employment and infrastructure, but also tensions. Farmers complain about visitors who enter their lands or feed horses without permission, even causing deaths of animals. In Vikthe massive arrival of foreign workers has altered the social and urban fabric, with prefabricated homes that change traditional aesthetics. Even in schools they have had to Put posters to prevent tourists from photographing children. In the environmental plane, basic systems as the sewer They have been overwhelmed. Many Icelanders recognize the prosperity that tourism has given them, but they wonder how much local culture can resist without diluting. Iceland as theme park. More than a decade later that Eyjafjalajökull Cover the European sky with ashes and put the country on the global map, many critics argue that the island has run the risk of becoming in a “volcanoes theme park.” The geysers, glaciers and mountains of fire are today part of an itinerary Almost prefabricated, driven by low -cost airlines and Instagram selfies, which concentrates crowds in a handful of iconic landscapes while other regions remain outside. What was previously perceived as an indomitable and mysterious territory has become a tourist decoration subject to the logic of rapid consumption, where the eruption that attracted the world was transformed In advertising claim permanent. For many Icelandic, the paradox is evident: the volcano that saved the economy now threatens to devour the essence of their country. The future. Thus, academics and analysts propose Diversify the routes and offer deepest experiences linked to the history and culture of the country, to prevent tourism from reduced to a handful of “postcard places.” Regions such as Western Fjords or Fisheries North are still relatively on the sidelines, although the opening of direct flights could change the situation. The issue, according to many Icelanders, is not to close the door to visitors, but rethink the model: Attract those who want a longer and more conscious experience, instead of fast visits dictated by social networks. The national phrase Þetta Reddast (“Everything will work out”) reflects the resilient optimism of the country, although now faces the most uncomfortable question: Can Iceland continue to receive the entire world without sacrificing what made it unique? Image | Pexels, Berserkur In Xataka | “No one will save you if you fall into the volcano”: Iceland reopens one of its greatest claims with the best anti -tourism slogan In Xataka | In Barcelona, ​​the anti-tourism movement is adopting a radical tactic: harass tourists down the street

The first time Spain displays combat airplanes in Iceland

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In a context marked by the War in Ukraine and Moscow’s growing aggressiveness in airspace of the North Atlantictogether with the progressive militarization of their Strategic routesSpain has first assumed the most active role in the defense of NATO’s northern flank. A historical step. Yeah, for the first time In its history, Spain has deployed combat planes in the nation of northern Europe as part of the NATO Air Police Mission. The operation, baptized as Tactical Air Detachment (DAT) Stinga (“Sting” in Icelandic), represents a milestone for the Army of the Air and Space (EA), which until now had concentrated its participation in the east flank of the Atlantic Alliance, especially in the Baltic countries. With this movement, the Spanish government intends to demonstrate Your commitment With all NATO defense scenarios, including the Arctic strategic, which gains relevance to the growing military activity Russian in the North Atlantic. Keflavik: The new Spanish advanced position. The detachment will operate from the Keflavik air basesouth of Iceland, considered a critical installation for its location in the North Atlantic, key to the control of intercontinental air traffic and for the routes between North America and Europe. Iceland, country No Air Force Own, trust Rotations of NATO allies to guarantee the integrity of their airspace. To the 44 aviators They arrived as advanced to prepare the operation, will add up to 122 Spanish military (among pilots, maintenance technicians, specialists in armament, logistics and security personnel), responsible for operating six F-18 fighters They arrived on July 22. The mission will officially begin on the 28th and will run until mid -August. Permanent alert in the north sky. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Rafael Ichaso Franco, the Stinga detachment will be in fast reaction alert (QRA), or in other words, will be prepared to Intercept any aircraft That violates the standards of allied airspace, whether flying without a flight plan, without radio contact or with the transposeor off, a usual practice in air intimidation maneuvers by Russia. This is precisely the reason why NATO launched in 2014 (After the Crimea Russian Annexation) a series of air surveillance deployments that have been expanding their territorial presence throughout Europe. “Hostile” training. Plus: Unlike other air police missions already carried out in Estonia, Lithuania or Romania, Iceland presents different operational challenges. Not only because of latitude and weather conditions, but by lack of previous experience of the Spanish army in that theater. That is precisely the reason why, according to The world pointedan intense preparation in simulatorsrecreating specific scenarios for the Arctic environment. In addition, training flights in the region have been scheduled to consolidate the operational capacities of the pilots and maintain the full operation of the F-18. Beyond a gesture. Although the duration of the mission will be rather brief, its political and strategic value is significant. Spain thus reinforces its image of Reliable and willing ally To participate in the distribution of responsibilities within the Atlantic Alliance, aligning with the priorities of Moscow deterrence On all fronts, including the least visible so far for Spanish public opinion. By projecting strength in the north, the Spanish nation also contributes to the defensive architecture that extends from the Baltic Sea to the Arctic Circle, at a time when NATO Redfine Its military borders before a Kremlin every time more aggressive. Operation Stinga thus not only a punctual deployment, but the beginning of A new phase in the outer projection of the Spanish armed forces. Image | Ministry of Defense of Spain In Xataka | With its rejection of dedicating 5% of GDP to Defense, Spain has done something else: open the melon of the melons in NATO In Xataka | Spain refuses to spend 5% of GDP on artillery. Because what you really want is to sell it to Europe

A US Nuclear Submarine has just arrived in Iceland for the first time in history. That can only mean one thing: Giuk

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When 2025 United States began, a word incessantly repeated: Greenland. There was no appearance of Trump where he did not slide that Washington was interested in getting the small nation, even for the bad. Behind, of course, There was much more that an occurrence, because the island is part of a Western strategic edge that he shares with the United Kingdom and Iceland. Interestingly, the first nuclear submarine in the US has just come to stay. First nuclear scale. Yes, by first time In history, a nuclear propulsion submarine in the United States has docked in Iceland. He USS Newport Newsa fast attack unit Los Angeles classarrived in Reykiavik in a movement that underlines the growing strategic importance of the Arctic in a context of Geopolitical tensions increasingly acute. The Icelandic government only began to allow the entry of nuclear submarines in its territorial waters in 2023and this inaugural visit is part of an increasingly narrow cooperation pattern with Washington and NATO. The American navy presented the event as A “decisive moment” which reaffirms its commitment to collective defense and maritime security of the Arctic, while American diplomats in Reykiavik stressed that the operation has been carried out in full Coordination with Icelandcountry that does not have its own naval forces and depends on the allied umbrella for protection. Giuk. It We count A few months ago. The geostrategic background of the event is closely linked to the call Giuk runner (Between Greenland, Iceland and the United Kingdom), a strip of key waters through which routinely submarines of the Russian north fleet, including the advanced yasen-m Cruise missile carriers. The location of Iceland makes the island a vital control point to follow these vessels before they are hidden in the vast Atlantic and represent a potential threat to the east coast of the United States. During the cold war, Iceland housed to the 57th Hunting Wing of the American Air Force at the Keflavik base, as well as maritime surveillance detachments With P-3 Orion aircraft. Currently, this surveillance persists with modern P-8a Poseidon and with NATO fighters that rotate to cover the Icelandic airspace. The Newport News stop adds to that renewed defense network, in a context where NATO has intensified protection of underwater infrastructure after alleged sabotage acts Russian In the Baltic which alerted about the vulnerability of vital cables and conduits. Sobs on board the submarine make guard while arriving in Reykjavík, Iceland And more. As We explainYes, let’s say Russia or China cross the corridor, its location would become extremely difficult, both because of the acoustic conditions of the underwater terrain and by oceanic vastness. Thus, from those hidden positions they could launch missile attacks against objectives in the east of the American continent. In fact and in response to this, the United States formed in 2021 the so -called Task Group Greyhounda specialized group of anti -submarine destroyers Designed to counteract This specific threat. The American navy itself warned at the time that the east coast of the country already It was not a safe shelterunderlining the urgency of establishing surveillance and defense points in key areas such as Greenland. The Russian answer. The truth is that Russia has proven to know very well the value of this corridor. In 2019, he organized its greatest naval exercise From the Cold War, sending at least ten submarines through the completely submerged Giuk gap, with the aim of Reach the Atlantic without being intercepted. According to Norwegian mediathe intention was clear: to prove the capacity of the West to detect movements of his fleet and demonstrate that he could project power to the US coast. These exercises also fulfill a fund growing territorial presence. A new stage. Beyond its symbolic value, the arrival of the Newport News represents an important operational step for the United States: to have a logistic support point for nuclear submarines in the Arctic without the need for move to Scotland or northern Norway. The ship, equipped with twelve vertical launch tubes for Tomahawk missiles and anti -submarine and anti -surface warfare systems, also provides surveillance and deterrence in a region where Russia has reinforced its naval presence and has increased its military activity near Finland. Icelandic Foreign Ministry itself recognized that these visits contribute to continuous and efficient underwater surveillance that also protects critical infrastructures submerged in Icelandic waters. Since 2023, six American submarines They had already briefly entered the island waters for partial crew rotations, but this is the first stop in port, product of bilateral regulations prepared with discretion and based on similar agreements with other Nordic countries. An emerging axis. The submarine scale is not an isolated case: in 2019, B-2 Spirit poachers They also used Iceland as an advanced base, which was a novelty for both aircraft and for the island. The ability to operate from austere locations has become a key principle of the American projection strategy. Iceland, who for decades played a secondary role after the end of the cold war, is repositioning as a central node in the defensive device of NATO in the north, especially in front of the resurgence of the Russian underwater threat. This scale, therefore, is not only a naval operation, but a silent but unequivocal statement of intentions: the United States contemplates the Arctic as a theater of strategic competence in full boom, already Iceland as its new bastion. Image | USN In Xataka | We already know why Greenland is so important: the key is called Giuk and gives access to China and Russia east of the US In Xataka | In the Norwegian cold war he devised a plan underground to detain the Soviet. Invasion to Ukraine has reactivated it

The war between the Azores anticyclone and Iceland depression will have a clear winner in the coming weeks: Spain

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If there is any field in which what was said by the famous physicist Niels Bohr that “it is difficult to make predictions, especially of the future“That is meteorology. Although it is not always the case. There are times that, with all the uncertainties we want, “we see them come long before normal.” And that is what just happened: the main prediction models in the world They say we are going to a negative nao stage. Something that, in the face of spring, can be excellent news. What is NAO? ‘Nao’ are the acronym in English of ‘North Atlantic oscillation‘And basically refers to the’ dance ‘between the Azores anticyclone and the loss of Iceland, the two great atmospheric phenomena that govern the meteorology of the North Atlantic. When the index we use to “measure who is winning” is negative, the anticyclone of the Azores is weaker than normal and, therefore, cannot block the deep storms of the Atlantic. The direct consequence is that, they circulate further than normal: in our latitudes. Kristian Strommen et als. (2021) The news is that, indeed, it seems that we are going to Noa negative. Both the NOAA American and the European ECMWF They coincide in which “we are at the gates of a Nao phase in descent.” And what consequences would this have? The combination of a negative nao and a large mass of stagnant polar air in the continent would cause the circulation of deep storms to pass us over and, therefore, the weather conditions are stirred. A summary of the situation. In the short term, we are in the midst of that cyclogenesis festival that we have already talked about, but when the stability will be installed again. That means that nocturnal temperatures will lower, the frost will return and the fog will return. From then on, if the NOA phase change is confirmed, the situation becomes difficult to predict. The good part of this type of diagnoses is that it is very solid (that is, it is quite likely to pass); The bad is that the details become more complex: it can be triggered from a sudden stratospheric warming that froze everything that caught its path to almost nothing. It is reasonable to wait for rain in one way (deep storms) or another (retrograde danas), however the prognosis is in the air. Image | Tropical tidbits In Xataka | In the next few days, Spain will be in the middle of a hall of Atlantic storms. It is good news, but not for everyone

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