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
![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)](https://gdb.voanews.com/45FF7534-44AE-4D9D-A5B7-FE9C7FA54426_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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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)
![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)](https://gdb.voanews.com/63AF7379-890E-46AE-A18F-F653523B6F20_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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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)
![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)](https://gdb.voanews.com/7CC101AD-7B29-47CD-BCD4-2CBBBE9AAFAF_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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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)
![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)](https://gdb.voanews.com/B563A415-E36E-495B-BEF8-B957BADB2FDC_w1024_q10_s.jpg)
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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)