Over the past century, geothermal resources have transformed Iceland from impoverished nation to the 15th richest country in the world.
Photographer: Arnaldur Halldorsson/BloombergIceland Shows the World How to Run on Reliable, Clean Energy
Thanks to geothermal energy in Iceland, citizens pay almost nothing for electricity, the air is clean and outdoor swimming pools stay warm year round.
Beneath the road on a snow-dusted mountain in the Hellisheiði region of southwest Iceland, a river of boiling water flows through porous, volcanic rock. Above, thick steel pipes connect to geodesic domes, each of which houses a geothermal well.
Steinþór Níelsson, a senior geologist with ISOR (Iceland Geosurvey), parks his car near one of the rounded huts. He and his team analyze rock samples taken from boreholes to figure out the best way to drill, and then track how the supply of hot water is affected by tapping its steam, which is used to create electricity for this area, as well as the capital of Reykjavik.