Iceland is a geologically active wonder, with diverse and magnificent landscapes. Its geology offers a behind-the-scenes look at how the planet was formed and continues to evolve.
Primordial Earth
1
This eroding glacier flows from the Mýrdalsökull ice cap. The distant snowy mountains are remnants of a large volcano that erupted 53,000 years ago. (Feo Pitcairn Fine Art)
2
On the edge of a road in Central Northern Iceland this stone pile was built by travelers, who placed rocks for good luck. (Feo Pitcairn Fine Art)
3
A new landscape of lakes, scree slopes, hills and large boulders is revealed after a glacier retreats. Glaciers in Iceland—and throughout the Arctic—are vanishing due to a rapidly warming climate. (Feo Pitcairn Fine Art)
4
This steam plume is found in the highlands of the Torfajökull volcanic system, which contains big, powerful geothermal fields or subsurface reservoirs of the Earth’s heat. (Feo Pitcairn Fine Art)