The soothing turquoise mineral waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, set against dark and jagged basalt from a young lava flow, defy visual norms, offering strange contrasts in color and multi-dimensionality across the vista. In the sky, thin cirrostratus and chunks of altostratus texturize the scene further. The silica and sulfur minerals precipitate from the outdoor cooling of superheated geothermal waters that first are used by a power plant, then released onto the adjoining lava fields. A different part of the lake supports a lucrative bathing spa, where tourists and natives alike soak to treat their skin and bask in the 100°F water.
2 NNW Grindavik, Iceland (10 Aug 14) Looking SE
63.8822, -22.4494Blue Lagoon: Land and Sky
The soothing turquoise mineral waters of Iceland’s Blue Lagoon, set against dark and jagged basalt from a young lava flow, defy visual norms, offering strange contrasts in color and multi-dimensionality across the vista. In the sky, thin cirrostratus and chunks of altostratus texturize the scene further. The silica and sulfur minerals precipitate from the outdoor cooling of superheated geothermal waters that first are used by a power plant, then released onto the adjoining lava fields. A different part of the lake supports a lucrative bathing spa, where tourists and natives alike soak to treat their skin and bask in the 100°F water.
2 NNW Grindavik, Iceland (10 Aug 14) Looking SE
63.8822, -22.4494