Eldhraun Lava Field

One of the largest lava fields on Earth, Eldhraun is a stretch of black basalt covered in soft grey-green moss along Iceland's south coast. It was laid down by the Laki eruption of 1783–1784, one of the most destructive volcanic events in recorded history: the toxic haze caused famine across Iceland and a cold, sunless summer over much of the northern world. Two centuries on, the raw lava has settled into a silent, cushioned plain that the Ring Road crosses.