Naomi Lubick
Wthis northern European nation’s very own coral reef island getaway. This is no tropical island, mind you: 3,100-plus-square-kilometer Gotland sits squarely in hite sand beaches and thatched-roof houses probably are not part of most people’s conception of Swe-den, yet they are characteristic of
WKH %DOWLF 6HD Rɣ WKH VRXWKHDVWHUQ VKRUH RI 6ZHGHQjust a short trip from the capital, Stockholm. My hus-band and I had heard about Gotland since we moved to Sweden several years ago. Swedes extol their country’s
largest island as a place with good food, great beaches and lovely summers. VWDFNVLQWKHQRUWKWRWKHZHVWVLGH¶VFKDONFOLɣVWRWKHThey also admire the island’s geology. From sea
HDVWFRDVW¶VZKLWHVDQGEHDFKHV*RWODQGGLɣHUVPDUNedly from the granitic craton that forms most of the rest of Sweden and much of Norway. Among the rolling glaciated hills and metamorphosed granites and schists -
that make up the heart of the Scandinavian landmass, Gotland’s reef layers are an anomaly.small island, for me, the clincher was photos of “the dog.” While my husband was skeptical about visiting the
:KHQYLHZHGIURPDVSHFL¿FDQJOHWKHLFRQLFVHDVWDFNlooks like a statue of a gigantic terrier standing out in the water, surrounded by other oddly shaped sculptures. The sea stacks, called raukarna (RAW’-kahr-nuh), stand on the western shore of Gotland’s northern neighbor, Fårö
(FOR’-uh), which means “Sheep Island.” arated from Gotland only by a narrow channel — even more so. This small island of several hundred human Swedes consider Gotland special, and Fårö — sep-
inhabitants (and probably more sheep) was also the longtime home of ish director who made many of his iconic movies, and Ingmar Bergman, the famed Swed-
lived out the last years of his life, here. Perhaps that bit RIKLVWRU\VKRXOGKDYHWLSSHGXVRɣDERXWWKHLVODQGV¶typical summer weather: The famously moody aura that %HUJPDQDFKLHYHGLQKLV¿OPVZDVVXUHO\DLGHGE\WKH
often cool and rainy conditions. in mid-July. And I have to say that the dog was smaller than I thought it would be. Even so, an evening on the It indeed rained half the time we were on Gotland
beach with the sea stacks, despite the cold winds blow-ing, was magical enough for me (a former geologist) to make the entire trip worthwhile. These rocks hold clues to the island’s deep past and served as our entry to its
more recent history as well.The iconic sea stacks, called raukarna, of Langhammars Nature Reserve on Fårö Island are the remnants of Silurian coral reefs. Credit: Naomi Lubick $QWKFHQWXU\ÀVKLQJYLOODJHRQWKHQRUWKZHVWFRDVWRI)nU|ZKLFKZDVXVHGVHDVRQDOO\WRFDWFKVDOWDQGGU\KHUULQJCredit: Naomi LubickSweden’s “Tropical” Escape in the BalticTravels in Geologypage 40 April 2016 EARTH ZZZHDUWKPDJD]LQHRUJ page 41 April 2016 EARTH ZZZHDUWKPDJD]LQHRUJFeature FeatureVisit our polls online at
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I
just wanted to write to thank
Naomi Lubick for the wonder-
ful and inspirational article from
April 2016, “Travels in Geol-
ogy: Gotland Getaway: Sweden’s
‘Tropical’ Escape in the Baltic,” in
which she describes her time in
Gotland from a geologist’s per-
spective. I am a Canadian artist
currently in Gotland with the
Brucebo Foundation. My prac-
tice examines the relationship between destruction and creation with a particular
interest in volcanology and geology. While in Gotland, I will be making work that
responds to the history and landscape as it’s been shaped by extinctions and erosion.
Her article has been one of the most enlightening pieces of writing in English I
have encountered that combined geologic knowledge with personal reflection in
an inspirational way. I simply wanted to write in response just to thank her for her
writing and reflections on Gotland. They were a joy to read.
1EYVE+MRHPE]
8SVSRXS(EREHEFrom the Editors: Thank you so much for your letter and for reading EARTH.
We’re so glad you found Naomi Lubick’s article helpful and enjoyable. Congratu-
lations on being named a 2017 Brucebo Foundation Scholar. We wish you the best
of luck with your work and in your time in Gotland. The Consumer’s Guide to Minerals
is a compilation of monthly arti-
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