Author | Lightnews

Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · 2d

Indeed. The whole country is in chaos over the news.

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · 3d

It is sadly, sadly true 🫠

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · 3d

Stop scrolling and post two characters who bring you happiness :)

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · 7d

Guess what's happening here in 300 days! #iceland

🌚

David Blanchflower BSc @davidbflower.bsky.social · 7d

Exactly 300 days until a big Partial Solar Eclipse over the UK. Totality over Iceland and part of Spain. 🔭 🧪

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · 8d

Terrible or fantastic news, depending upon your tolerance for all things festive and jolly:

IKEA Iceland has already put up their infamous Christmas goat. Third week of October.

Why is it infamous, you may ask? Well almost every year, it somehow burns down. Lightning. Arson. The gods. Somehow.

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · 11d

Omg I love this country:

Elves (and apparently a ghost, too) have approved of finishing bridge construction here in Iceland, according to government sources. I guess we can consider and help marginalized and at-risk communities after all.

grapevine.is/news/2025/10...

Elves Approve Road Construction Project In South Iceland

According to the Icelandic Road and Coastal Administration (Vegagerðin), elves living in Efri-Laugardælaeyja have approved the construction of a bridge...

grapevine.is

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · 11d

Something is happening on my end. It's very early days, but I've got a website and some socials brewing.

Looking forward to sharing this journey with you: Volcanoes! Auroras! DnD! Sagas! Books! Games! Nature! Your special interest, but make it travel 🩵

sidequesticeland.com

Sidequest: Iceland

Get ready to geek out in Iceland.

sidequesticeland.com

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Sep 21

Would bring a new meaning to cancel culture

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Sep 21

My credentials? I worked 10+ years for one of the world's largest energy companies as an exploration geoscientist, with half that time devoted to deep sea hydrocarbon exploration. I also wrote my masters thesis on how hydrothermal fluids and tectonics affect porosity and permeability of reservoirs.

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Sep 21

I spoke to the local evening news last night about renewed calls for oil exploration off the northeast coast of Iceland.

While I'm pro-science and never against collecting more data, this is not a play I would want to risk my tax dollars and pristine nature on.

www.visir.is/g/2025277808...

Efast um að olíuleit beri árangur - Vísir

Litlar líkur eru á því að olíuleit á Drekasvæðinu beri árangur, segir jarðfræðingur. Staðhæfingar Viðskiptaráðs og umræðan byggi á úreldum gögnum.

www.visir.is

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Sep 12

Your boos mean nothing to me; I've seen what makes you cheer.

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Sep 8

Spent the weekend in the Highlands of Iceland filming a documentary about geology, rivers, and the water cycle here.

It's always an adventure to get up into the wild terrain, and I love being among some of the world's most unique, surreal scenery. And of course close to some big volcanoes.

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Sep 4

It was a big week for northern lights here in the far north as it now gets dark enough to really enjoy the show. A CME blessed our skies, although we were fighting clouds throughout SW Iceland.

More to come this weekend, solar forecast looks good. Hope the terrestrial forecast cooperates. #aurora

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Sep 1

💯 I love it here 😻

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Aug 31

In more Icelandic cat news, the police and special mechanics team had to be called to rescue a cat trapped in a Tesla. And the newspaper reported extensively on it.

We take cat rescue very seriously here. Like the cat that was kidnapped and they sent an entire swat team after it. #catsky

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Aug 30

Long time, no chat! I'm going to try to be back more in the coming months; you'll see soon why. Are we still using this app?

I was this month's Lava Academy Podcast guest, as a geologist here in Iceland, talking science communication & what makes Iceland unique.

www.lavashow.com/blog/lava-ac...

Geologist Jessica Poteet Discusses Lava, and Living in Iceland on the Lava Academy Podcast - Lavashow

Geologist Jessica Poteet shares her journey, insights on Iceland’s eruptions, and love for lava in the new Lava Academy Podcast.

www.lavashow.com

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Jul 16

So when you see international headlines like this: take the sensationalism with a grain of salt. The volcano is not "huge" and the entirety of Iceland was not evacuated 😂

#volcano #iceland #science

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Jul 16

New eruption in Iceland alert! It's exciting and the situation with the air quality and instability of the growing fissure has kept us on our toes.

That said, the eruption is very localized, not affecting infrastructure, and will most likely be short-lived. So just enjoy watching new earth be born!

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Jun 27

Here's more of Gary loving his wall of hexagons.

The scratching post is an old, repurposed post that he outgrew.

The steps are new but donated IKEA shelves.

The hexes were the only thing handmade from scratch.

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Jun 27

Wanted to show off this amazing installation I had put in on my dining room wall for Gary the Cat.

I conceptualized the idea, and my friends at OlaVera designed, built, and installed it. They specialize in sustainable, bespoke furniture.

The table, with cat hidey-holes, is thrifted wood and metal.

A cat play wall installation of hexagonal shelves with holes that form a maze, a wood table to match, and a scratching post.

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Jun 25

Hey #bluesky friends and followers! Sorry I've been MIA. I've been dealing with some health issues, but I'm slowly feeling better.

Not too much geology news here in Iceland anyway, and the midnight sun is keeping the northern lights at bay. But hopefully we can talk volcanoes and aurora again soon!

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Jun 5

Number of Sunshine hours (sólskinsstundafjöldi) are the number of non-cloudy hours per month. (tbh, I can't find a definition of the word that accurately explains if this is between sunrise-sunset or a full 24 hours).

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · Jun 5

What's one thing you're obsessed with? Mine is to be able to accurately complain (or not) about Reykjavík summer weather, with the use of real data.

Behold: new May 2025 data. Not only the warmest May on record ever, but the largest deviation from the mean since I started my records in 2018.

Chart showing the average temperature and number of sunshine hours per month during summer (May-August). The chart is color-coded by deviation from 1991-2020 mean (or for years prior to 2020, whatever mean Veðurstofan used then).

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · May 26

Back home and participating in the season's sport

#stormchasing #oklahoma

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Jessý Potato @markdownhandsup.bsky.social · May 22

Is it maybe a large boulder the size of a small boulder?

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