Five craters – Sundhnúkagígar Volcano Iceland

The volatile beauty of a crater chain in action was something to behold, the heat coming off it making the helicopter warm, was incredible. Initially consisting of six craters, the chain had reduced to five as volcanic activity concentrated on the most powerful cones—a common pattern in fissure eruptions. The image highlights the raw, shifting power of the earth, with bright, molten lava erupting from the craters, framed by the freshly cooled new lava on the landscape and rising plumes of smoke. It’s wild to think that since capturing this shot, another eruption has occurred, burying the majority of cones, leaving only the top cone active. I had hoped to visit them one day, but nature had other plans!