About Húsavíkurkleif
This plaque and two others are at a remote and beautiful little waterfall outside of the town Hólmavík, on the Standir coast in the Westfjords. This plaque reads:
HÚSAVÍKR KLEIF
Húsavíkurkleif is a location long know for its plant fossils, which the German Gustav G. Winkler first wrote about in 1863.
Whereas scree hides the lowest reaches of Húsavíkurkleif, there are 8ö10 meters of hard sedimentary layers higher up. They are composed of siltstone and sandstone, with considerable amounts of lignite, and were undoubtedly originally formed at the bottom of a lake. Plant remains, especially leaf traces, can be found in sediments, usually incorporated into iron-rich balls of clay.
Layers of volcanic ash were found here and there in the sediments indicate that there was some volcanic activity in the area as the sediments were piling up. In addition, marshes and lakes appear to have been scatter throughout the area at the time of sedimentation, producing substantial amounts of limonite, which probably contributed iron to the sediments. Judging by the lava at the top of Húsavíkurkleif, the sedimentary layers were eventually covered by a lava flow, which now shows the traces and impressions of tree trunks.
At that time a deciduous forest grew in the environs of Steingrímsfjöður, with waters and winds carrying leaves, fruits, seeds, branches and trunks into nearby lakes, where such plant remains were buried in the sediments at the bottom. Alder (Alnus), birch (Betula), maple (Acer), and royal fern (Osmunda) are the most common plants found in these sediments.
When the deciduous forest grew in the area, the climate was much warmer than today. The annual mean temperature was at least 10 degrees C, frosts were rare, and precipitation was evenly spread throughout the year.
The plan remains are approximately 10 million years old.