Iceland. Ice land. On top of the terrain formed by fires of the earth, ice is the frosting on top. The large ice caps, glaciers, ice filled lakes and icefalls are only the “tip of the iceberg”. While it is not everywhere, the landscape has been shaped by the ice. U shaped valleys, fjords are clear evidence as are Kettle lakes. (Kettle Lakes form from melted blocks of ice trapped in the till of receding glaciers, leaving behind a depression.) Moraines form ridge lines, and miles of flat land is scoured by the outwash from inland ice.

Ice not only reflects the seasons of cold – it records history. It is not just snow fall that is captured in its library. Each ashfall from the ongoing eruptions is carefully curated, giving us a detailed chronological archive. Blackened lines interspersed between the compacted snow create contrast in the crevices and cracks. The slow flowing ice bends around the underlying landscape and cascades down the sides of the very volcanic cliffs.

Iceland, a land shaped and formed by fires but capped with ice.