DSLR Photography Forum

“My Daddy worked a lifetime…yeah
for the Power Company…
Turning night into day... yeah...yeah
for the Power Company”

- Eric Burdon

In Iceland, they don’t drill for oil and gas - they drill for hot water. Almost all Icelandic buildings are heated by hot water – piped direct from the earth’s core to them via a labyrinth of pipes spanning the country.


Leica M9 / 50mm Leica Summicron-M, ISO 160, F11, 1/80 sec


Geothermal energy is also being used to generate electricity, and geothermal power plants are being constructed to satisfy the country’s ever increasing demands for an economical source of electric power. One of largest of these is the Krafla Geothermal Power Station.


Garmin Oregon 450 GPS Tracks displayed in Google Earth


The Krafla Geothermal Power Station is situated in one of the most volcanically active areas in Iceland. Located directly on the fault that separates the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates, the land here is being pulled apart at the rate of several inches per year. The fault is simultaneously shearing in a north/south direction.

The result is a major geothermal "hot zone" with the volcano Krafla serving as the region’s unofficial bulls-eye.


Leica M9 / 50mm Leica Summicron-M, ISO 160, F13, 1/180 sec


When Krafla erupts, it doesn’t form the familiar cone that we associate with volcanoes – it erupts along a series of fissure vents - long tears in the surface of the earth – and spews molten lava over a wide area. Lava fountains from the "Krafla Fires" between 1724 and 1729 could be seen all the way to the south shore of Iceland. Krafla last erupted in 1984.

The magma is close to the surface here – very close, and that makes it an ideal source of geothermal energy. The Krafla Geothermal Power Station attempts to harness that energy by drilling deep wells that tap directly into the heat below. Superheated water and steam are then pumped to the Power Station’s turbines and used to generate electricity.


Leica M9 / 50mm Leica Summicron-M, ISO 160, F19, 1/90 sec


The Iceland Deep Drilling Project is a consortium of government agencies and utility companies trying to improve the economics of geothermal energy production by drilling much deeper wells in an attempt to tap into temperatures far in excess of what can otherwise be achieved.

In 2004, an IDDP drill unexpectedly entered a magma chamber at just over 2 km depth. The contact immediately melted both the drill head, and the thermometer provided to measure the extreme temperatures encountered. Fortunately, the hole was capped without further incident.


Leica M9 / 50mm Leica Summicron-M, ISO 160, F13, 1/500 sec

Iceland’s goal is to be the World’s first 100% fossil-fuel-free nation.

Clean, uncluttered text mirrored by the same in the photos. I can quite understand the smaller apertures given both the documentary nature of he series and remembering you like to have a "bit of meat on the bone" to crop to taste. A jolly workable combo of images and text, Toad, succeeding in allowing me to be more educated!

Thanks Zig. The Iceland series is evolving to be much more documentary than my Italy series. I suppose that is because Iceland is sufficiently interesting to hold interest (in my opinion at least) without having to get too abstract. The small apertures are probably as much due to the bright skies on that particular day as anything. BTW: all of the photos in this piece were taken within a single 2 hour window.

I suppose I should stop being so much of a school teacher, though. Its probably way more information than people actually care about.

The GPS map probably isn't really required - but as it shows Krafla in proximity to locations that I have previously referenced in Toad's Iceland threads (i.e. Selfoss, Dettifoss, Dimmuborgir), it seemed like a good opportunity to provide some geographic context for the series.

This is really interesting stuff Rob. And I agree that a more documentary style seems to suit it well. I had no idea that houses were heated in this way in Iceland and would never have known unless you explained the images to me.
As far as the photos themselves go, I love the first photo of the series (which also nicely sets the scene), and the red car driving under the pipeline is also very cool.

Sounds like you're still having fun and there's plenty there to explore. It really gives me itchy feet....

I too find it very interesting, and the photos excellent. When electricity is generated I assume that more power is created, than is used in the creation program. Like driving the pumps and electrifying the generator site, etc.
And kind of frightening that someone wishes to unleash the power of the planet by drilling into the core. :|

Thanks for the comments, guys. Much appreciated.

NT: It is scary stuff. The funny thing about Power is that you never have enough until you have too much.

Iceland, and your photos of it, continue to impress me tremendously. I can't even begin to imagine the scope of these projects, and the forces that they deal with.

Mate, I don't stop being a schoolteacher either.
Interesting point you raise about Iceland lending itself to docu as opposed to Italy. I find we in our anglo-saxon, or even northern European, worldviews could readily find a unity and linearity in Iceland. In Italy I had a strong sense that my geographical movement was ever non-linear: each city/place was a kind of "lateral" shift rather than a documented and linear one. I'm not expressing myself at well here, and see that something more prosaic like having time and space might well be the facilitator of the Icelandic work.

Thanks Matt.

Zig - I think I see what you mean. The style for these pieces and for the Italy ones weren't really conscious choices - the stories kind of write themselves in that I just try to let my thoughts flow (and then edit like mad). It is completely reasonable that the culture dictates the style though.

Iceland... what a nice travel... I know this island country but through your camera is being so interesting and nice. These are all so beautiful photographs. Especially the car under the pipes... You are amazing. Thank you dear Robert, I missed your beautiful photographs too... Have a nice day, with my love, nia

...and thank you very much as well, nia!