Iceland has many faces. None of them appears fragile, subtle, or gentle. There is rock and ice, mountains and glaciers. And there’s smoke and steam. Yes, there are beaches — but they are black, and at times, perilous. Lashing rain joins hands with fierce gusts of wind. And when the sun does shine, it casts its light upon the roughness shaped by the elements — a raw and ancient beauty.

And Iceland has its own scent. In many places, sulfurous vapors rise from the earth. Geothermal power may bring many blessings, but a pleasant fragrance is not one of them. The images in this post capture that sense of the primordial. This is how the Earth must have looked before life began. Steam drifts over lunar landscapes, white veils wander through seemingly deserted valleys, geysers burst forth, releasing the pressure of the restless ground. Sulfur paints vivid yellow and red patterns across rock and soil. Welcome to Iceland — a place that feels, here and now, like a land before our time.

As usual, you can click on the images to view them in an almost distraction-free lightbox.

If you like what you saw here, you might want to check my other posts with images from this amazing place.