Forged by Fire & Ice
How Iceland’s Geology Shaped Its Extraordinary Landscapes
Studlagil basalt canyon, with rare volcanic basalt column formations
Few places on Earth demonstrate the power of natural forces as vividly as Iceland.
Here, on a windswept island at the edge of the Arctic Circle, fire and ice coexist in a delicate yet dramatic balance. Volcanoes rise from beneath glaciers, rivers carve through ancient lava fields, and steam from the planet’s interior curls into the cold northern air.
For scientists, Iceland offers a rare glimpse into the Earth’s inner workings. For travellers, it provides an experience like no other – a journey through landscapes that are both beautiful and alive, shaped by processes still unfolding beneath the surface.
An Island in Motion
Iceland owes its remarkable form to its position on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a 16,000-kilometre-long fracture running through the centre of the Atlantic Ocean. In the north, this ridge marks the boundary between the North American and Eurasian continental plates, which are slowly spreading apart. In most places, the ridge lies hidden beneath the sea. In Iceland, however, a powerful mantle plume – a column of hot rock rising from deep within the Earth – pushes the crust upward, creating the only large landmass that straddles the ridge above sea level.
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge is a mid-ocean ridge (a divergent or constructive plate boundary) located along the floor of the Atlantic Ocean, and part of the longest mountain range in the world
This combination of ridge and plume makes Iceland one of the most geologically active places on Earth. The plates continue to drift apart by about two centimetres each year, pulling the island open as magma wells up to fill the gap. Over millions of years, this cycle of tearing and renewal has built Iceland from the ocean floor, creating a landscape that is still taking shape today.
Where Continents Divide
The interaction between these great tectonic plates is nowhere more visible than at Þingvellir National Park, a UNESCO World-Heritage site that captures the essence of Iceland’s dynamic geology. This rift valley, marked by sheer basalt cliffs and deep fissures, represents one of the few places on Earth where you can stand above sea level and quite literally see the divide between continents.
Aerial view of Þingvellir National Park, where two tectonic plates meet
Walking through Þingvellir is a humbling experience. The ground seems to open beneath you, with vast cracks revealing the slow but relentless movement of the earth. To wander along the Almannagjá gorge – between the North American and Eurasian plates – is to walk a line that continues to shift year by year.
Þingvellir also carries immense cultural significance. It was here, at Lögberg, the Law Rock, that Viking chieftains established the Althing, Iceland’s national parliament, in 930 CE – one of the world’s oldest. Beneath the open sky, laws were spoken aloud and disputes resolved. The site thus unites two kinds of history: geological time, measured in millions of years, and human time, measured in centuries of community and governance.
Lögberg (Law Rock) mountain in Þingvellir National Park
Nearby lies Þingvallavatn, Iceland’s largest natural lake, fed by water filtered over decades through volcanic rock before it emerges crystal-clear. Divers in the lake’s Silfra fissure can see over a hundred metres in the pure glacial water and touch both continents at once – a physical connection to one of the planet’s great boundaries.
Þingvallavatn Lake
Land of Fire
From the southwest to the northeast, the Mid-Atlantic Ridge cuts across Iceland in a chain of volcanic and seismic zones. Within these zones lie about thirty-two volcanic systems, responsible for the island’s otherworldly landscapes.
Eruptions here are part of life’s rhythm. Each new lava field, volcanic cone or black sand plain tells a story of creation and renewal. The volcano Hekla, in southern Iceland, has erupted more than twenty times since the 9th century. Once feared as the “Gateway to Hell”, Hekla remains closely watched. When it erupted in 2000, scientists detected a burst of earthquake activity and were able to predict the event only half an hour before it began – a testament to the volcano’s unpredictability.
Hekla Volcano, South Iceland
Further west, Eyjafjallajökull achieved unexpected fame in 2010 when its eruption disrupted air travel across Europe for weeks. The volcano’s ash plume captured the world’s attention, highlighting how interconnected modern life remains with the planet’s raw forces. Its ice-capped slopes later featured in The Secret Life of Walter Mitty, symbolising both Iceland’s beauty and its elemental power.
Eyjafjallajökull volcano eruption
East of Eyjafjallajökull lies Katla, one of Iceland’s most powerful volcanoes, buried beneath the Mýrdalsjökull glacier. When Katla erupts, the heat melts vast volumes of ice, releasing catastrophic floods known as jökulhlaups. These torrents reshape valleys and plains in hours, sweeping away everything in their path.
The Katla Ice Cave Arch at Mýrdalsjökull Glacier
At the opposite end of the volcanic spectrum lies Surtsey, a young island born from the sea in 1963. For nearly four years, underwater eruptions built this new island off Iceland’s southern coast. Today, Surtsey is a protected nature reserve, closed to the public and studied by scientists as a pristine laboratory for observing how life takes hold on new land.
Surtsey Island
The Reign of Ice
If volcanoes build Iceland, glaciers shape it. Covering around ten percent of the island, these vast sheets of ice grind mountains into valleys, feed powerful rivers and sculpt the landscape into forms of haunting beauty.
The largest glacier, Vatnajökull, spans more than 8,000 square kilometres – roughly the size of Cyprus – and hides several active volcanoes beneath its frozen expanse. When these volcanoes erupt, the interaction between fire and ice creates some of the most spectacular natural events on Earth.
Vatnajökull glacier
These glaciers are also the source of many of Iceland’s iconic features. Meltwater plunges from cliffs to form waterfalls like Gullfoss and Dettifoss. The meltwater also carries the ground-up volcanic rock in the form of the black sand that lines much of Iceland’s coast.
At the edge of Vatnajökull lies Jökulsárlón, a vast glacial lagoon where icebergs drift slowly towards the sea, their surfaces streaked with volcanic ash and glinting in shades of blue and white. Just beyond, on Diamond Beach, these same ice fragments are washed ashore, scattered across the black sand like jewels – a striking symbol of the ever-shifting relationship between glacier, ocean and time.
Diamond Beach, with icebergs from the Jokulsarlon glacier lagoon
On the southern shore near Vík lies Reynisfjara Beach, famous for its dramatic basalt columns and towering sea stacks. Here, waves crash against black pebbles and sands that shimmer beneath the northern light – a stark, captivating reminder of the island’s volcanic past.
Reynisfjara Beach
The Sky and the Sea
Iceland’s geography also shapes its weather. Located where polar and temperate air masses meet, the island experiences a climate of constant change. Sunshine, rain and snow can follow each other in quick succession. Coastal areas benefit from the warming effect of the Gulf Stream, while the interior remains cold and rugged for much of the year.
This unpredictable climate has played a crucial role in shaping Iceland’s ecosystems and way of life. Frequent precipitation feeds its rivers and glaciers, while strong winds sculpt its lava fields and coastal cliffs. It also powers a remarkable commitment to sustainability: Iceland now generates nearly all its energy from renewable sources, using hydroelectric power from glacial rivers and geothermal heat drawn from the earth.
Steaming Svartsengi geothermal power station near Grindavik, Iceland with moss covered lava field in front
Living with the Elements
For Icelanders, the Earth’s volatility is part of everyday life. The ground sometimes shakes, rivers change course and the sky glows with aurora. Yet rather than resist these forces, people have learned to live with them – even to harness them.
Geothermal energy heats homes, schools and swimming pools. In towns like Hveragerði, steam rises from the soil between gardens and footpaths, fuelling greenhouses that grow vegetables and flowers throughout the year.
Aerial view of Hveragerdi, South Iceland, showcasing geothermal steam vents
In Reykjavík, hot water piped from the surrounding hills warms entire suburbs and even melts snow from pavements in winter. This deep respect for nature – and the ingenuity to work with it – has become a defining feature of Icelandic culture. It also makes the island an inspiring destination for travellers interested not only in scenery but in sustainability and resilience.
Myth and Science
For centuries, Icelanders explained their volatile world through folklore. Volcanoes were the work of magical, sometimes sinister, entities, and peculiar rock formations the giant limbs of trolls. Even today, many Icelanders hold a fond respect for the huldufólk, or hidden people, believed to live among the lava fields.
One can almost imagine such creatures lingering in places like Stuðlagil Canyon – a hidden gorge revealed only when a dam diverted the Jökla River, exposing towering basalt columns of surreal symmetry. Once the realm of myth, it now stands as one of Iceland’s most striking natural wonders, where geology and legend seem to meet.
Stuðlagil Canyon
Modern science tells a different story, yet the sense of wonder remains the same. The landscapes that once inspired myth now inspire understanding – a reminder that imagination and knowledge often spring from the same source. Whether through sagas, superstition or science, Icelanders have always sought to interpret the power that shapes their land.
The Power of Perspective
Travelling through Iceland changes how one thinks about the world. The island reminds us that the Earth is not static – that mountains, valleys and coastlines are in constant motion. It also shows how closely human life is intertwined with these movements.
Þingvellir
At Þingvellir, you stand where democracy began in a landscape that continues to evolve. At Reynisfjara, you see waves breaking against rock that was once molten. In the geothermal towns, you experience the direct warmth of the planet’s core. Everywhere, you sense the same quiet lesson: that change is the natural order of things.
A Land Still in the Making
In the end, Iceland’s beauty lies in its impermanence. It is a country forever being remade – by eruption, by ice, by time and by its people. The forces that built it are still at work, creating new valleys, new islands and new stories.
Seljalandsfoss Waterfall
For visitors, this makes Iceland more than a destination. It is an encounter with the Earth as a living being – restless, creative and endlessly renewing itself. To travel here is to stand at the intersection of science and wonder, to witness the planet in motion and to feel, if only for a moment, part of its ongoing creation.
Tour Iceland in 2026
Land of Fire and Ice
This new 12-day journey, led by social volcanologist Dr Deanne Bird, showcases Iceland’s spectacular landscapes and rich culture. Beginning in Reykjavík, we travel through the Golden Circle and along the dramatic South Coast, exploring extraordinary natural wonders including Þingvellir National Park, Reynisfjara Black Sand Beach, Eyjafjallajökull Volcano and Jökulsárlón Glacier Lagoon. A four-day extension to the Faroe Islands is also available for those wishing to continue their North Atlantic adventure.
