What Lies Beneath

While Iceland may be frigid on the outside, it's molten lava on the inside. The most exciting evidence of the heat within is provided by the island's many geysers.

Geysir, the original blowhole from which all others get their name, now lies dormant on a grassy slope below Bjarnfell Mountain, 120 km east of Reykjavik. But Geysir's neighbor, Strokkur, is positively explosive; thousands flock yearly to watch it fire off a dazzling 30-m spout of scalding water every few minutes.

Icelanders take full advantage of their country's volcanic potential: when the mercury drops, they...