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While the Arctic fox is the only mammal native to Iceland, its range also extends to Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. Though this hardy animal lives in some of the most frigid areas on earth, it will usually not start shivering until the temperature drops to −70 °C (−94 °F). The Arctic fox’s coat provides some of the best insulation of any mammal fur; it is the only member of the canine family whose foot pads are also covered in fur.

Almannagja, a large canyon-like fault in Thingvellir National Park, is actually the exposed eastern boundary of the North American geologic plate.

Downchannel from the volcanic dike in Thingvellir National Park.

A dike (volcanic feeder tube) merging into layered strata in Thingvellir National Park.

Mini stream between banks of eroding basalt in Thingvellir National Park.

A rainbow envelopes the peak of Hekla volcano, a stratovolcano located in southern Iceland. It is one of the island's most active volcanoes, having erupted more than 20 times since the ninth century A.D. Hekla is 1,491 m (4,892 ft) high and its name is Icelandic for “short hooded cloak,” which probably refers to the clouds that frequently hang over its summit. However, in the Middle Ages, the Norse called it the "Gateway to Hell." The volcano is responsible for the creation of more than 10% of the landmass of Iceland over the last 1000 years. Iceland is situated on top of a seismic hotspot, subjecting it to earthquakes and severe volcanic activity.

Snow-filled crater from the 2000 eruption of Hekla volcano.

Pyroclastic rock bombs scattered about a crater in the Hekla Mountain Range.

Descent down Hekla across the snowpack. Hekla is a stratovolcano located in the south of Iceland; it is one of the island's most active volcanoes, having erupted more than 20 times since the ninth century A.D.

Descent down Hekla across the snowpack. Hekla is an active volcano located in the south of Iceland; it is 1,491 m (4,892 ft) high.

A hauntingly luminous view down the southwest flank of Hekla volcano.

A geyser field and stream runoff.

Laki is a volcanic fissure in the western part of Vatnajökull National Park, Iceland, not far from the volcanic fissure of Eldgjá and the small village of Kirkjubæjarklaustur. The fissure is properly referred to as Lakagígar, while Laki is a mountain that the fissure bisects. Lakagígar is part of a volcanic system centered on the volcano Grímsvötn and including the volcano Thordarhyrna. The system erupted violently over an eight-month period between June 1783 and February 1784 from the Laki fissure and the adjoining volcano Grímsvötn, pouring out an estimated 42 billion tons or 14 cu km (3.4 cu mi) of basalt lava and clouds of poisonous hydrofluoric acid and sulfur dioxide compounds that contaminated the soil, leading to the death of over 50% of Iceland's livestock population, and the destruction of most crops. This devastation led to a famine that killed approximately 25% of the island's human population and resulted in large scale emigration. The Laki eruption and its aftermath caused a drop in global temperatures, as 120 million tons of sulfur dioxide was spewed into the Northern Hemisphere. This caused crop failures in Europe and likely caused droughts in North Africa and India.

An azure blue hot pool.

The many channels of a glacial river.

On 21 May 2011, Grimsvoetn volcano rumbled to life and sent off a plume of ash and steam about 20 km (12 mi) into the atmosphere. Above Grimsvoetn's summit, volcanic ash formed a circular brown plume that towered above the surrounding clouds. In the southeast, ash colored the snow surface dark brown. Ash from the volcano also reduced visibility to about 50 m (160 ft) in some areas, causing night-like darkness in the middle of the day. Image courtesy of NASA.

Plumes of dust blowing off the southern coast of Iceland in late June 2007. The dust appears as grayish blurs emanating from the coast southward over the North Atlantic Ocean. Blue-green algal blooms also fringe the coastline. Relatively light winter snow in 2006-07 followed by arid spring weather created the conditions for this dust storm. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Summer temperatures melt snow and ice on much of Iceland's surface, as shown on this satellite image. The lack of uniform snow cover allows permanent (though shrinking) icefields to show through (particularly Vatnajokull in the southeast), and highlights the island's rugged coastline. Scores of fjords edge the island, resembling feathers waving out into the waters of the northern Atlantic Ocean (bottom) and Greenland Sea (upper left). Though Iceland's climate is relatively mild and humid thanks to the North Atlantic Drift, and though the island's active volcanism provides inexpensive heating, only about the a quarter of the island is habitable, most of that along the coastlines. Photo courtesy of NASA.

Summer is winding to a close on 9 September 2002, but even Iceland is still showing some summer color, its perimeter tinged with green, while its large permanent ice caps stand out brightly against the volcanic rock surrounding them. The largest ice cap, Vatnajokull, actually rests on top of three active volcanoes. The heat from these volcanoes causes the underside of the ice cap to melt, slowly filling the calderas. Eventually the caldera spills over and releases a torrent of water known as a glacial melt flood. This volcanic activity happens because a tectonic boundary runs roughly northeast-southwest through the island country, and the two plates are pulling away from each other, causing magma to well up from deep in the Earth. The brightly colored lakes and coastal waters are the result of very fine, and highly reflective sediment that is ground to bits by the immense weight of the glaciers and washed out with glacial runoff. Image courtesy of NASA.

In wintertime (January), Iceland definitely lives up to its name. Image courtesy of NASA.

The West Fjords are a series of peninsulas in northwestern Iceland, shown in this false-color satellite image. They represent less than one-eighth the country's land area, but their jagged perimeter accounts for more than half of Iceland's total coastline. Black areas represent the sea; light blue snow and ice. Image courtesy of USGS.

Sunset over a frozen lake-filled caldera.

An eruption of the geyser Strokkur.

A river with volcanic black sand banks meanders to the sea through farm fields near the southern coast of Iceland.

Photo taken from the Eurasian continental plate (foreground rock ledge) looking across to the North American plate and to the Thingvellir, the plains on which the Icelandic republic was founded in 930 and independence declared in 1944. The tabletop mountain on the horizon was formed by a volcanic eruption beneath a glacial ice sheet when Iceland was covered by ice.

Channel downstream from the Gullfoss Waterfall.

Reykjavík is the capital and largest city of Iceland, located on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay. Steam from hot springs in the region is said to have inspired Reykjavík's name, which loosely translates to Smokey Bay. Its latitude of 64°09' N makes it the world's northernmost capital city.

Menntaskolinn i Reykjavik (Reykjavik Junior College). Founded in 1096; building erected in 1846. Oldest school in full-time use in Iceland.

View of the skyline of Reykjavik.

View of the skyline of Reykjavik; the distinctive Hallsgrimskirkja church stands out prominently in the upper center.

Hallsgrimskirkja is a Lutheran church in Reykjavik that built between 1945 and 1986. The church, with its spire of 74.5 m (244 ft), is one of the tallest buildings in Iceland and the tallest church in the country. The unusual design of the building was inspired by Iceland’s volcanoes and resembles a gigantic stalagmite of petrified lava residue

View of Reykjavik from Perlan Hill. This photo dates from 2008-09 when the Hallsgrimskirkja church (left center) was undergoing restoration.

View of Reykjavik from Perlan Hill.

City Hall in Reykjavik.

Hofthi House in Reykjavik, site of the summit between Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev in 1986.

National Parliament (Althing) building in Reykjavik, erected in 1880-81.

The Washerwoman statue in the Botanic Gardens in Reykjavik honors women who used to use the island's geothermal springs to clean clothes.

Large trees in the Arboretum in Reykjavik. This "forest" is unusual because Iceland is largely devoid of trees. The original forests were cut down by settlers, and abundant grazing animals consume any trees that attempt to grow and that do not perish in the cold and windy conditions on the island.

A roundup of Icelandic horses.

Hardy Icelandic sheep exhibit a variety of wool colors: white, grays, browns, black, and spotted.

The Gullfoss Waterfall (Golden Falls) seen from a distance.

The Gullfoss (Golden Falls) Waterfall in southern Iceland.

Mist rises above the Gullfoss Waterfall.

A closeup of the churning Gullfoss Waterfall.

The Gullfoss Waterfall has a distinctive stairstep configuration.

Closeup of some of the stairsteps in the Gullfoss Waterfall.

The thundering waters of the Gullfoss Waterfall.

While the Arctic fox is the only mammal native to Iceland, its range also extends to Alaska, Canada, Greenland, and Russia. Though this hardy animal lives in some of the most frigid areas on earth, it will usually not start shivering until the temperature drops to −70 °C (−94 °F). The Arctic fox’s coat provides some of the best insulation of any mammal fur; it is the only member of the canine family whose foot pads are also covered in fur.