Steam rises from the ground, creating clouds that often obscure the view. Black basalt ash still lies everywhere. On the edge of the destruction, homes are half buried, straining under the weight of lava and ash. Steam rises from the still-hot ash covering the remaining southern half of new volcano Eldfell, Heimaey. Workmen, with their trucks and equipment, are enveloped by steam as they drill into the hot ash of Eldfell, Heimaey.
Exhaust vents from numerous geothermal wells appear in the distance.
But time has not stood still. The townspeople have returned and are rebuilding. They have tapped the new volcanic heat to warm their homes in winter. Vegetation is starting to grow on the now cold volcanic debris and the sea has begun its work of wearing away the new land. Iceland is a land of extreme contrasts, from a vigorous, lively city life to stark, barren landscapes, mountain glaciers, and the ever-present threat of natural violence.