Greinar (Vísindafélag Íslendinga) - 01.01.1967, Blaðsíða 53

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tuff. On the northern part of the island a sandy beach,
1800 m long, has formed. The highest point of the island
is on a ridge formed by volcanic cinder, approximately
170 m above sea level, with steep slopes. On the northern
side of the ridge at sea-level there is a lagoon, but on the
southern side the lava slopes gradually towards the ocean.
As indicated by this topographical description, Surtsey
differs in many respects from the other outer islands.
Among other factors it has sandy beaches, extending round
half its circumference.
The island was devoid of life as it emerged and was
rather sterile during the first phase of the eruption. Seeds
of higher plants, however, had already drifted ashore
when first investigated on May 14th 1964, or six months
after the eruption started. On June 3rd 1965 several small
seedlings of Cákile edentula were found growing upon
the sandy beach north of the small lagoon. These, how-
ever, did not mature but were buried a few weeks later
under a shower of ashes from the volcanic eruption of
Syrtlingur. A second attempt by vascular plants to invade
Surtsey took place on July 2nd 1966, when a few seed-
lings of Cakile edentula as well as seedlings of Elymus
arenarius were found growing on the sandy shore on the
northern side of the island. These plants grew from seeds,
which had apparently been carried by the ocean as they
were all found growing in a row at the hightide line. In
May 1967 Cakile seedlings were again found growing on
the same beach. Both these species are shore and sand
plants which are not found growing on the other members
of the outer islands. Both, however, occur on Heimaey,
which has sandy beaches as well as Surtsey. (Fridriksson
1965 and 1966).
Ellidaey
Ellidaey, which has an area of about 0.46 sq. km, is
somewhat low-lying, but slopes steeply to the sea. In
the centre of the island there is a sizable crater, Bunki,
which is covered with vegetation, and on either side of
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