20th Annual Smithsonian Magazine Photo Contest Natural World
Eye of the dragon

This image is a topdown photo of a small geothermal pool in Hveravellir, located in the west highlands of Iceland. From a horizontal point of view, the colors of its fumarole are hardly visible. The minerals that are deposited by the fumarole exhalations give the geothermal pool its bright colors. Locals call this geothermal pool "the eye of the dragon".

Photo Detail
Date Taken: 07.2022
Date Uploaded: 11.2022
Photo Location: Hveravellir, Iceland
Camera: FC7303
Copyright: © Sofie Rysheuvels