Fjallabak is a nature area in the highlands of Iceland, established in 1979 and not far from the Hekla, Iceland’s most active and destructive volcano. The area is sculptured by volcanoes and geothermal activity and displays a number of unusual geological elements, like the multicolored rhyolite mountains and extensive lava fields It is the largest rhyolite area in Iceland and the second largest geothermal area (after Grimsvotn in Vatnajokull).
There are many manifestations of the geothermal activity in the area, including several hot pools and the wide variety of colors in the rocks. The many mountains in the area consist mainly of rhyolite, a volcanic rock, and display a wide spectrum of colors including pink, brown, green, yellow, red, blue, purple, black, and white. In summer, Landmannalaugar in the Fjallabak region is a popular tourist destination, attracting both day visitors and hikers.
Iceland is a geologically young land, located at the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. This location means that the island is highly geologically active with 30 active volcano systems, including the Hekla, the Grimsvötn and the Eyjafjallajokull, that erupted in 2010 and disrupted the air travel in Europe for weeks.
I spent a week in Fjallabak at the end of summer in 2011, focussing exclusively on the geothermal sources and rhyolite mountains.
Theo Bosboom (1969) is a full time professional photographer since 1 january 2013, breaking off a successful career as an IT lawyer to follow his great passion. Bosboom is inspired by nature and therefore focusses mainly on nature and landscape photography. His work is characterized by balanced compositions, a good eye for detail and often a creative approach.
