Much of Iceland has been on high alert over the last two weeks as authorities work on a rescue plan should Grindavík volcano erupt. Local residents—almost 4,000 people—have already been evacuated after magma movements beneath the Earth’s crust were detected, in turn causing hundreds of earthquakes. Should an eruption take place, it would be the fourth eruption to take place in the peninsula of Reykjanes in just three years.

Iceland is known for its otherworldly glaciers; its epic waterfalls, ashen volcanic rock, and the never-ending plateaus, valleys, and fertile lowlands that make up the country’s terrain. It is also known for its significant use of renewable energy sources, particularly geothermal and hydropower.

Located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge on a tectonic plate boundary, Iceland relies on its abundant sources of geothermal energy to meet the country’s electricity and heating needs. Geothermal power plants tap into the Earth’s internal heat by drilling deep wells to access hot water and steam, which is then used to generate electricity and provide heating for homes and industries. Like geothermal power plants, hydroelectric power plants use the flow of water to generate electricity. Iceland’s many rivers and waterfalls provide a renewable source of energy, contributing to the country’s power supply.

In other words: Iceland is an active island where the black terrain and ever-changing landscape represent the vigor of our planet. A trip around the country will leave visitors and locals in no doubt.

“I don’t want to read. I don’t want to write. I don’t want to do anything but be here. Doing something will take me away from being here. I want to make being here enough. Maybe it’s already enough. I won’t have to invent enough. I’ll be here and I won’t do anything and this place will be here, and I won’t do anything to it. And maybe because I’m here and because the me in what’s here makes what’s here different, maybe that will be enough, maybe that will be what I’m after. But I’m not sure. I’m not sure I’ll be able to perceive the difference. How will I perceive it? I need to find a way to make myself absolutely not here but still be able to be here to know the difference. I need to experience the difference between being here and not changing here, and being here and changing here.” 

— Roni Horn, Iceland Writings