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GeoIceland is an Icelandic tour operator is built by people with passion for Iceland and travel. We believe that life should be an adventure, driven by the desire for knowledge and new experiences. All our tour guides are highly qualified and experienced local professionals, who know the land like the back of their hand and are storytellers at heart.

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GeoIceland Day Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

GeoAdventures Iceland

Discover iceland from a scientific side,   discover our tours, book a private tour, explore the waterfalls of the south coast, geological golden-circle tour / small group adventure, geological lava tunnel adventure - arnarker cave, northern lights hunt in a super jeep, small group volcano hike with a geologist, small-group landmannalaugar super jeep tour from reykjavík.

GeoAdventures is a licensed Day-Tour provider in Iceland. We are offering geological-inspired adventure Tours, like hiking trips or Super-Jeep tours in small groups of up to 6 people. We also offer individually organized private tours. All tours are guided by a professional geologist and offered in English or german. I'm Jasmin from Germany and your guide on your adventure. I'm a geologist with a master's degree and a specialization in volcanology. I was in Iceland for the first time in 2014 and fell imminently in love with the country, its breathtaking landscape, the numerous volcanoes, and geological highlights. I've years of experience as a host and love to share my passion. Get involved in a special day with an amazing geological field trip.

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+354 7813520, [email protected], austurmýri 5, selfoss, 800, is, useful links.

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GEOICELAND DAY TOURS: All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (with Photos)

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North iceland experts – local guides – sensible travel, lofthellir – ice cave tour, all year from mývatn area, askja & holuhraun, small group – day tour from mývatn, lofthellir – ice cave- private tour, ice cave within a lava tunnel / from 14.500isk per person., askja & holuhraun private day tour, more flexibility / better value for groups, northern lights tour, experience the magic, myvatn 1hour snowmobile tour, try a new way to explore iceland, snowmobile northern lights tour, enjoy an evening snowmobile tour, dettifoss day tour, europe’s most powerful waterfall, private tours, private tours in north iceland, tailor made tours, tailored travel / luxury service, myvatn wilderness snowmobiling day tour, from 34.900per person, from lake mývatn, birdwatching, birding in north iceland, dog sledding, dog sledding in north iceland, private flights service, fly direct the artic north / keflavik or any domestic airport, have a look at what others have said.

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GeoIceland Day Tours - All You Need to Know BEFORE You Go (2024)

I paid $1,700 to visit Iceland. Horrible weather meant I couldn't see the Northern Lights, but I found 5 other ways to have a good time.

Posted: May 11, 2024 | Last updated: May 11, 2024

• I traveled from Baltimore to Iceland to see the Northern Lights.
• I spent about $1,700 on flights, hotels, and activities like whale-watching and snorkeling.
• I didn't see the Northern Lights, but I had a great time and would return to Iceland in a heartbeat.

Seeing the Northern Lights in person has always been on my bucket list. So, when I learned that 2024 is one of the best years to see them , I knew I had to take a trip to Iceland as soon as possible.

I booked a Northern Lights tour through Gray Line Iceland and paid $66 for a ticket that was valid for several days. But unfortunately, due to inclement weather, the scheduled tours were canceled each day I was in Iceland.

Although I was disappointed after spending $1,700 on hotels, flights, a rental car, and activities, I was still able to have a great time.

Here are five activities that made my trip to Iceland worth it.

My first stop was the Blue Lagoon, a geothermal spa.

My first stop was the Blue Lagoon , a famous geothermal spa with temperatures ranging from 98 to 104 degrees Fahrenheit.

Getting in a bathing suit and swimming in freezing weather might sound horrible, but the water was quite comfortable. I paid about $95 for this experience.

I took a virtual tour of the country through FlyOver Iceland.

My next stop was FlyOver Iceland, an attraction I learned about through an advertisement I saw at the airport. The $42 experience started with lectures and videos about the history of Iceland, mythology, and the land.

Next, we were led to a theater full of chairs with handlebars along the side, similar to the seats on a roller coaster. When everyone was seated, the chairs lifted, suspending each person in the air.

A screen at the front of the room displayed vivid videos of Iceland's beautiful natural landmarks . The seats moved as we watched the videos, and wind and scents to match the projected scenes blew around the theater. Mist hit my face as I saw videos of waterfalls, making it seem like we really were flying over Iceland.

This was a great alternative to physically seeing parts of the country I couldn't drive to because of the inclement weather.

The next day, I made a spur-of-the-moment decision to go whale-watching.

While in Iceland, I wanted to find an excursion that didn't require me to get on the road, so I spent about $120 to go whale-watching . I booked the last-minute adventure at a brick-and-mortar Gray Line Iceland location in downtown Reykjavík.

The mountain views , beautiful ocean, and the whales putting on a show were amazing. The boat had plenty of space, and the staff served coffee and hot chocolate.

After I got off the boat, I headed to the Geysir hot-spring area.

The weather lightened up during the three-hour whale-watching expedition, so I made the spur-of-the-moment decision to drive to the Geysir hot-spring area. The geothermal area was free to the public and featured geysers that could shoot water over 100 feet in the air .

Most geysers I encountered were inactive, but I saw a fountain-like hot spring, Strokkur, erupt twice.

Next, I headed to Thingvellir National Park for a snorkeling adventure.

Though it was freezing, I was excited to go snorkeling between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates. I paid $150 to go snorkeling and $30 for a diver to snap photos with a company called Dive.IS .

Once I got in my wetsuit, which was surprisingly warm, the instructor taught me about how the tectonic plates shifted. Then, we set out on the 30-minute snorkeling journey.

The buoyancy of the wetsuit made it easy to stay afloat, and I fully enjoyed the clear, refreshing water.

Even though I didn't see the Northern Lights, the trip was worth the money.

Overall, I still think the $1,700 I paid to travel to and explore Iceland was well spent.

Due to the snowy, cloudy weather, I never went on the Northern Lights tour I'd booked. Though my heart was set on seeing the streaks of blue, green, and purple flash across the sky, my stay showed me plenty of things to see and do in Iceland.

I got out of my comfort zone by whale-watching and snorkeling and had an amazing time learning about the country's rich history.

Gray Line Iceland, the company I booked the $66 Northern Lights tour through, offered customers who didn't see the lights the option of getting a refund or a ticket to use in the future. I opted for the ticket.

I'll definitely return to Iceland to try to see the lights again soon.

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Chill out: Beat the summer heat with these cool escapes

Raise your hand if you love a layer. These destinations are for travellers who love mist, plenty of shade, crisp mountain air and cozy sweater weather. Yes, all puns below are intended.   

If the thought of roasting in a city’s peak season heat makes you recoil from a summer trip, welcome to the coolest club in travel. Summer in the northern hemisphere is a vibe – bringing long, sunny days and plenty of outdoor activities and festivities – but being in the scorching heat isn’t for everyone. That doesn’t mean you have to cram all your travels into the off-season, this just means you can visit destinations overlooked by sun seekers. You could explore Iceland, hike through Patagonia’s rugged beauty or experience Scotland’s rich cultural heritage. The following destinations are tailor-made for a retreat from the heat. 

Denali National Park

Summer in Denali, Alaska , means mild temperatures and lots of daylight hours, which is ideal for exploring the park’s smaller mountains, tundra and foothills. It’s one of the largest national parks in the United States, covering over six million acres (about the area of Belgium) and home to diverse ecosystems, wildlife habitats and stunning landscapes, including North America’s tallest peak, Denali. On Intrepid’s six-day Hiking in Denali trip, travellers trek mountain trails (and a glacier) while spotting wolves, grizzly bears and moose and enjoying treats like pizza and local brews. 

Norway 

Fjords, snow-capped mountains, charming coastal towns and temperatures that hover around 20˚C make Norway a great option for travellers looking for cooler escapes. From happening cities like Oslo to villages on the Lofoten Islands, there are different experiences for every type of traveller. Intrepid’s trips in the country let you visit must-see fjords, embark on a scenic train journey through the Norwegian countryside or simply soak in the tranquil l ity of the Arctic Circle under the midnight sun.  

Patagonia 

For anyone who loves an adventure, Patagonia’ s rugged landscapes are the ticket. Down at the southern tip of South America, towering peaks meet icy glaciers and windswept plains. Temperatures stay close to 20˚C in the summer. With Intrepid, you can visit nature destinations like Torres del Paine National Park, hike the towering granite spikes of Fitz Roy, or cruise through the icy waters of the Beagle Channel in search of penguins.  

Scotland 

With misty moors, rugged coastline, ancient castles and diverse cities, Scotland has a great mix of history, culture and nature. In the summer, the average temperature is around 19°C and visitors have up to 17 hours of daylight to play in. On Classic Walks of Scotland , adventurous travellers can roam around craggy peaks, rolling hills and tranquil lochs. Culture lovers can hit the cobbled streets of Edinburgh and Glasgow on Highlights of Scotland . This small group trip also includes stops at places like Inverness, Fort William and the gorgeous Isle of Skye.  

Iceland 

Famous for its out-of-this-world scenery and geothermal attractions, Iceland lives up to its name even in summer when, thanks to the Gulf Stream, the climate is pleasant. In July and August, temperatures range from 10 to 15°C and visitors can take advantage of long daylight hours. With Intrepid, see stunning waterfalls like Seljalandsfoss and Skógafoss on the Golden Circle in Depth trip, take a dip in the Blue Lagoon on Iceland Discovery , walk along ancient glaciers, learn about Viking history, visit cute coastal towns and villages and iceberg-watch. 

South Africa 

With beaches along the Wild Coast to the peaks of the Drakensberg Mountains, South Africa offers a summer escape with lots of variety. Enjoy that Atlantic Ocean breeze as you explore Cape Town, where Table Mountain looks over streets with an eclectic mix of culture and architecture. Go on a safari to search for the Big Five in Kruger National Park. Hike through leafy green forests of the Garden Route or sample world-class wines in the picturesque vineyards of the Cape Winelands. The temperatures from March to May range from 20 to 28°C; between June and August, they average 15 to 23°C and temperatures fall between 18 to 26°C from September to November.  

The Canadian Rockies  

With average temperatures ranging from a comfortable 15 to 25°C, the Canadian Rockies offer a cool sanctuary for travellers wanting relief from the scorching sun. Here, you can head out on hikes through forests and around turquoise glacial lakes and breathe in the crisp mountain air. For a trip that covers plenty of ground with all the ooh and aahs, grab a spot on Intrepid’s Classic Canadian Rockies . You’ll add epic national parks like Banff and Jasper to the ‘gram and relax in alpine villages on a summer retreat with some of the nicest natural beauty found in the world.  

Feeling inspired?

Sahar lives in Toronto and is Intrepid's global brand content specialist. Writing and travel bring together Sahar's two favourite worlds.

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How to get front-row seats to an active volcano in Guatemala

This challenging hike offers a rare opportunity to witness one of the world’s most active geologic wonders.

Frequent and dramatic eruptions make Guatemala’s 12,346-foot-tall Volcán de Fuego one of the most active volcanoes in the world. Adventurers seeking an up-close encounter with this pyroclastic marvel head to the summit of neighboring Acatenango Volcano—at 13,045 feet, the third highest in Guatemala—which provides an unparalleled vantage point. The strenuous hike goes from lush coffee plantations at the mountain’s base to the cloud forests on the mountainside, up to the otherworldly terrain near the peak. Here’s what to know about this awe-inspiring trek.

Acclimatize in Antigua

Before embarking on the journey to witness Fuego’s eruptions, acclimatize to the altitude in Antigua Guatemala . Just over an hour west from the country’s capital and sitting in the shadow of volcanoes Agua, Acatenango, and Fuego, the charming colonial town of Antigua has cobblestone streets, vibrant markets, and picturesque plazas.

While exploring this UNESCO World Heritage site, visitors can find local flavors at Café Condesa ; experience traditional barbecue and live music at Restaurante Las Antorchas ; and absorb the tranquility of the baroque La Merced Church, built in 1767. Accommodations range from the convenient Posada del Angel to the luxurious Casa Santo Domingo, located in a former late-17th-century convent.

Choose a one- or two-day hike

Hikes usually start at the village of La Soledad, where the path to Acatenango begins. From here, climbers can expect a challenging but rewarding ascent, passing through different ecosystems, from farmlands to coniferous forests. The hike to the top can take from 5 to 6 hours, depending on pace and weather conditions. There’s an option to go on horseback for the initial segment of the journey, as the final stretch to the top must be done by foot.

At Acatenango’s crater, amid the clouds and above the canopy, the explosive power of Fuego is on full display. Many adventurers opt for a two-day expedition to be able to overnight at the summit, experiencing the spectacular sights and sounds of glowing lava and pyroclastic material set against the starlit night skies.

Be prepared for a dramatic range in temperatures due to the high elevation, with daytime temperatures over 68°F and below freezing at night. Whereas the two-day hike allows for a paced journey, the Acatenango day trip packs the ascent and descent into a single, more strenuous day. Offered by Casa Santo Domingo and outfitters like Antigua Tours and OX Expeditions , this trip starts early at 5 a.m. to ensure hikers return by dusk, usually taking between 10 to 12 hours, including a shuttle to and from Antigua.

(What you’ll discover on a journey through Guatemala’s Western Highlands.)

What to know

Trekking to Acatenango is not for the faint-hearted. This adventure requires physical fitness, preparation, and a spirit of adventure. Pack warm clothing, sturdy hiking boots, water, and snacks. The dry season, from November to April, typically offers clearer views of the volcano.

For safety, it is important to stay informed about the volcano’s activity through official sources, hiring a local guide for the trek, and following the guide’s instructions. Outfitters like OX Expeditions lead overnight hikes that include a bilingual guide, meals, tents, and shuttle to and from Antigua.

Trekkers are encouraged to leave-no-trace and preserve the beauty of this natural wonder.

For Hungry Minds

Related topics.

• ADVENTURE TRAVEL
• MOUNTAIN CLIMBING

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Science | June 2024

Journey Into the Fiery Depths of Earth’s Youngest Caves

What Iceland’s volcanoes are revealing about early life on our planet

Speleologists in metallurgical “cooling suits” emerge from the extreme heat of a lava tube formed by the eruption in 2021 of Mount Fagradalsfjall.

By Yudhijit Bhattacharjee

Photographs by Robbie Shone

Francesco Sauro first explored a cave when he was 4 years old. He was with his dad, a professor of geography, in the Lessini mountains, near the northern Italian village of Bosco Chiesanuova, where his father had grown up. His dad was also an amateur cave explorer, and the trip was a kind of preordained rite of passage. “The only memory I have about those caves is that I cried,” Sauro recalls. “I was very scared because of the darkness.” When Sauro was 12, and visiting the area again with his family, the founder of a local museum told him that a nearby cave held the bones of ancient cave birds. “In that moment, my curiosity overcame my fear,” Sauro says. From that day on, he was hooked.

In the nearly three decades since, the 39-year-old geologist has trekked into dozens of caves around the world: on islands in the Atlantic Ocean, inside glacier mills in the Alps, beneath the forest floor of the Amazon rainforest. In 2013, he discovered some of the world’s oldest caves inside the mountain known as Auyán Tepui in Venezuela. All told, he’s surveyed more than 60 miles of these hidden worlds, including several caves that were unknown to humankind. Some were millions of years old. Others formed tens of thousands of years ago. Recently, he explored caves that are even younger: pristine cavities known as lava tubes, forged inside cooling mounds of molten rock during the eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcano, in southern Iceland, in 2021. For explorers looking to set foot on uncharted territory, few spaces can match the novelty. But beyond that elemental thrill, these infant caves offer an exceedingly rare opportunity to study cavernous worlds almost from their moment of origin.

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This article is a selection from the June 2024 issue of Smithsonian magazine

The most common caves on Earth are formed when rainwater mixes with carbon dioxide in the soil and turns into a weak acid, dissolving soft, soluble rock such as limestone below. Similar “destructional” caves are formed inside mountains and rocky formations made of less soluble material such as basalt, when flowing water slowly erodes the stone over long periods of time. “Constructional” caves, by contrast, are forged when flowing lava begins to cool, creating a top, crusty layer that solidifies into rock. As the molten lava beneath the crust flows out, it leaves behind a new cavity—a lava tube. “These caves are built in an instant of geologic time,” Sauro says. Lava tubes can range in size from a small hollow barely three feet in diameter to a large chamber more than 150 feet tall. They can be formed as a single conduit, or as a series of small, interconnected tubes. Some might be “tiered” one on top of another—a stack of caves.

Somewhere between 50 to 70 of the planet’s 1,500 or so active volcanoes erupt every year. When Mount Fagradalsfjall began to erupt in March 2021, capping what had been more than 800 years of dormancy, the world looked on with fascination, in part because an eruption elsewhere in Iceland a decade earlier spewed giant clouds of ash into the atmosphere over Europe, impacting air travel. This time there was no such disruption. Instead, tourists from Iceland and around the world swarmed to the site, some getting within 500 or so feet of the eruption, to glimpse the brilliant red and crimson lava gushing from the mountain and cascading down its sides. “It was the first case where we had cameras everywhere around the volcano, and images coming from the thousands of tourists that were going there to see this incredible show,” Sauro says.

Sauro, a full-time speleologist and president of a geographical exploration society called La Venta who also works with NASA and the European Space Agency to help train astronauts in planetary exploration, monitored these developments from his home in northern Italy. He spent hours each day looking at photographs and video footage from the site. This rich stream of information was not just giving researchers the ability to track how and where the caves were forming. It also presented a rare chance to study the interiors of caves that hadn’t yet been touched by living matter: to observe the cooling process, the formation of minerals and the early microbial colonization of those environments in unprecedented detail. And because the caves were formed from lava surpassing temperatures of 1,800 degrees Fahrenheit, the environment inside would be completely sterile. “I was thinking: Hey, as soon as the eruption stops, this will become like an incredible laboratory,” Sauro recalls. “This will become a new world.”

Mount Fagradalsfjall is not actually a single mountain but a cluster of small ridges on a plateau on the Reykjanes Peninsula, about 25 miles southwest of Reykjavik. The surrounding area is flat and covered in moss. The eruption began in a valley between the ridges. As it continued over the next few months, Sauro began making plans. He knew it was imperative to access the caves as soon as physically possible.

That time was of the essence was a lesson that speleologists had learned in 1994, when studying lava tubes formed after Mount Etna erupted in Italy. When they entered the tubes nearly a year after the eruption had stopped, at which point the temperature inside was still a dangerously high 158 degrees, the researchers found rare crystals and minerals. Returning six months later, however, those minerals were gone. They were “metastable”—holding their form only at high temperatures. As the lava tubes cooled, they had disappeared, and so had the opportunity to examine them in detail.

To prepare to enter the new caves in Iceland, Sauro and his team needed a precise understanding of where exactly they were forming and which tubes presented the easiest and safest access. Gro Pedersen, a geologist at the University of Iceland’s Nordic Volcanological Center, was tasked with collecting images. She and Birgir Óskarsson, from the Icelandic Institute of Natural History, surveyed the volcano from an airplane, flying over it once every two weeks or so between March and September 2021. They also collected other images captured by drones and satellite imagery. “Because of the different angles, we were actually able to create a topographic map, in addition to a good visual map of the lava flow field,” Pedersen says.

Sauro and his colleagues, who had received a grant from the National Geographic Society, finally got close to the volcano in September 2021, about a week after the eruption subsided. Using their maps, the team identified windows, or “skylight points,” on the surface—locations that were potential entrances into newly formed caves. They flew a drone equipped with thermal imaging cameras over the site to map the temperatures of different parts of the volcanic landscape. In May 2022, they were able to approach the entrances of several caves, but thermal cameras indicated that inside temperatures were still reaching 900 degrees. “There was burning air coming out,” Sauro says. “The winds outside were cold. The contrast between the exterior and the interior was crazy.”

Sauro and his expedition members finally entered one of the caves that October, wearing metallurgist suits designed to withstand high temperatures and breathing from portable tanks filled with compressed air, because the air inside was too hot to breathe and laden with toxic gases. The walls were still radiating heat like a furnace, and in certain places the floor was nearly 400 degrees. Sauro and two other team members, equipped with thermal imaging cameras to monitor conditions, advanced cautiously, like a line of soldiers, allowing for the person in the middle and the person in the rear to pull back the line leader in case the expedition suddenly turned dangerous. “The air temperature could change from 100 to 200 degrees [Celsius] in just one meter,” Sauro says. In one tube Sauro entered, the cave wall was still glowing, with a temperature of nearly 600 degrees Celsius (1,100 degrees Fahrenheit). “It was one of the most impressive things I saw,” he says. Pedersen visited the caves after they had cooled further. “I know very few places on Earth where you can go into things that you have seen being born,” she says. “That’s kind of amazing.”

Two lines of research interested Sauro and his colleagues. First, they were eager to study the minerals they would find inside the caves—those formed on the cave walls and other rocky surfaces. Second, they hoped to discover when these extreme habitats would be colonized by micro-organisms and discern which microbes would thrive. Learning how such newly formed caves might begin to harbor life could help researchers refine their ideas about how life developed on Earth, and it would also provide guidance about how and where to look for signs of life, current or past, on other planets, such as Mars. “We know that lava tubes were constantly forming in Martian volcanoes,” Sauro explains. “So they could have been quickly colonized, becoming a kind of Noah’s Ark for Martian life—if life ever existed there.”

Concerned that some minerals could change or disappear over time, the researchers brought a scanning electron microscope to the site to produce high-resolution images of the samples to help them identify them. Rogier Miltenburg, a technician with the biotechnology company Thermo Fisher Scientific, housed the instrument inside a tent next to the volcano, and he ran a generator inside the tent to maintain the vacuum needed for the microscope to function. The conditions were precarious: Once, when it was raining, a river started to form through the tent. “I had the power supply on the floor, and luckily the water sort of diverted around it,” Miltenburg recalls. “Otherwise we would have had a short.”

The researchers came across a variety of minerals along fissures and grooves on the cave surfaces. “We found this beautiful white stuff. And then we said, ‘Wait a minute, that’s green there, that’s blue there,’” says Bogdan Onac, a mineralogist at the University of South Florida who was part of the team. Using sterile spatulas, the researchers scraped off samples and packed them in vacuum-sealed bags. Since the temperatures in the lava tubes were so high at the outset, Onac was expecting the minerals to be completely dehydrated crystals, so he was surprised to find some whose texture resembled that of wet sugar, indicating that, in spite of the high heat, water molecules in the environment had been incorporated during mineralization. After collecting samples, Sauro and his colleagues would turn around and walk to the tent for a look at what they had found. By ascertaining a sample’s chemical composition from the images produced by the electron microscope, they could usually identify the mineral within half an hour.

The team had expected to find some minerals such as mirabilite, which is made up of hydrogen, sodium and sulfur. But they also found novel minerals formed from the combination of copper with sodium, potassium, sulfur and other elements, resulting in rare substances that the team is currently studying in greater detail. One surprise mineral, for instance, was wulffite—an emerald-green crystal whose composition includes sodium and potassium along with copper sulfate. “It has only been found once before in the history of mineralogy, in a Russian volcano site,” says Fabrizio Nestola, a mineralogist at the University of Padua. Nestola, who is conducting detailed analyses of the mineral samples at his Padua lab, is certain that some of the minerals will turn out to be entirely new to science, potentially revealing as yet unknown processes by which mineralization takes place.

Sauro’s microbiologist colleagues, meanwhile, collected samples from patches of rock surfaces marked by “biofilms”—areas that had begun to be colonized by bacteria. After extracting samples and analyzing DNA from them at laboratories off-site, the researchers found that different micro-organisms had flourished in different parts of the same cave. “The first data indicate that environmental bacteria, mostly those associated with soil, begin the colonization,” says Martina Cappelletti of the University of Bologna, a microbiologist. “They are probably initially transported inside the cave through air currents.” These micro-organisms can thrive because they are able to subsist on rocks—that is, to derive energy from oxidizing inorganic materials. Over time, as the caves cooled, the diversity of microbes inside the caves increased. The findings suggest that such life-forms, which would not require water or organic matter to survive, should have the best chance to establish a foothold in extreme environments—whether in the distant past or on other planets.

Indeed, tracking microbial colonization will help scientists searching for life elsewhere in the universe. Even on planets where surface conditions today seem inhospitable, lava tubes may once have provided temporary or enduring refuge to life-forms that rapidly colonized the interiors and survived. “If some specific microbial life is able to quickly colonize lava tubes on Earth, why could this not have happened on Mars?” Sauro says.

Penelope Boston, director of NASA’s Astrobiology Institute at NASA Ames, Moffett Field, describes lava tubes as “a model for what we may potentially find on other bodies in the solar system.” And volcanic activity isn’t limited to Earth and Mars. Even Io, one of Jupiter’s moons, has active volcanoes, suggesting that planets and moons beyond our solar system may have volcanoes—and lava tubes—too. That’s why Boston sees great value in studying the caves Sauro is investigating. “I think that designating places around the world where we have this ability to see an early history of microbial colonization from the get-go is something that deserves worldwide attention,” she says.

The eruption of Fagradalsfjall has subsided, but Sauro has been following news about other volcanoes in Iceland with interest. This past March, when a new eruption started on the Reykjanes Peninsula , at Mount Hagafell, a few miles west of Fagradalsfjall, he mused about “new tubes forming, literally, right now.” These uncharted caverns could be his next hunting ground.

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Yudhijit Bhattacharjee | READ MORE

Yudhijit Bhattacharjee, a contributing writer for the New York Times Magazine , has also written for Wired , the New Yorker and others.

Robbie Shone | READ MORE

Cave explorer Robbie Shone has photographed cave systems in some of the remotest parts of the world.

Culture Night in Reykjavik: The Ultimate Guide

What to Know About Culture Night

History of culture night, where to go on culture night, culture night during the day.

• What to Do With Kids on Culture Night
• The Reykjavik Marathon on Culture Night

Culture Night During the Evening

Every year, Reykjavik explodes in a celebration of culture and artistic spirit on Culture Night. It's known in Icelandic as "Menningarnótt," and there's no way the festivities will escape your notice, especially if you're staying in a  Reykjavik accommodation !

The streets of Reykjavik transform into a giant, open-air festival, coming alive with music, dance, performances, exhibitions, and art displays. The day comes to a close with a huge fireworks show and a night of partying!

This is one of the biggest cultural days of the year and rivals the attendance and festivities of  Iceland's Independence Day . If you're lucky enough to be visiting during Culture Night, you can even pair the day with fun culture tours  or walking tours  to further enhance the overall experience.

The Culture Night schedule changes every year, so there's always something new to see and do. Most of the events take place in the city center, but you can find things to do all over the Capital Region . Keep an eye out for these events, especially if you have a rental car , as there are all sorts of great activities going on that you may not want to miss out on.

Read on to learn all about one of the biggest days on the Icelandic cultural calendar! Discover what to do during the day and night, where to go, and what you can expect from Culture Night in Reykjavik.

• Learn about the Top 20 Festivals in Iceland
• Also, check out the 10 Weirdest Things About Icelandic People and Culture

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Top-value 24-hour reykjavik city card with free entry to museums, galleries, & geothermal pools, flexible 48-hour reykjavik city card with free entry to museums, galleries, and geothermal pools, unbeatable 72-hour reykjavik city card with free entry to museums, galleries, and geothermal pools.

As one of the biggest events in Iceland, Culture Night serves an integral role in the Icelandic art and music scene by celebrating artists and performers. For many, it's the most anticipated day of the year and here's what you need to know when taking part!

Photo taken from the Menningarnott Reykjavik website . People gathered on Arnarholl hill.

Culture Night is held yearly on the first Saturday after August 18th, the "birthday" of Reykjavik city. The first one took place in 1996 to celebrate the 210 years of Reykjavik city, with the goal of offering fun cultural events for the whole family.

The idea of Culture Night centered around museums, galleries, restaurants, cafés, and more locations being open from the late evening until dawn, where guests could enjoy all sorts of interesting, family-friendly events and activities. It was inspired by similar celebrations in other European cities, and organizers wanted to create a night where everyone could enjoy Reykjavik's rich culture for free.

This first Culture Night was a great success, drawing enthusiastic crowds, and since then, it's become an integral part of the yearly calendar. It's only grown in size, and today, events aren't only limited to the evening but go on throughout the whole day.

The entire city center comes alive with music, art installations, performances, and even street food. It formally ends just before midnight with a huge fireworks show, followed by a night of partying. It's a fantastic way to experience Icelandic culture and the friendly spirit of Reykjavik!

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Photo from Flickr, Creative Commons, by mike .

On Culture Night, the whole downtown Reykjavik area will be buzzing with life, but there are a few key places where you can expect to find people gathered to enjoy the festivities. The schedule changes every year, but you'll find that most people gather around the streets of Laekjargata  and Austurstraeti , along with Ingolfstorg square, and Arnarholl hill.

The charm of the day, however, lies in simply wandering around the Reykjavik center, discovering surprising activities, and taking in the atmosphere! Most museums and cultural institutions are open and free to access, so make sure to use the opportunity to visit.

You can find the event schedule on the Reykjavik Culture Night website . Make sure to check it out and plan your day ahead of time to make sure you don't miss out!

• Check out the  Ultimate Guide to Downtown Reykjavik
• Learn more about the Best Museums in Iceland

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Photo from Reykjavik City website . Dancers in front of the Harpan Concert House on Culture Night.

While it's called Culture Night , there are plenty of fun, family-friendly activities that take place during the day! The earlier events generally start around lunch, so it's a great idea to begin the day with a tasty breakfast or brunch in Reykjavik before checking out all the activities.

You can expect events at most museums, galleries, and even libraries in Reykjavik, many of which center around art exhibits or creative workshops. It's also common to see guided tours of cultural institutions on the schedule, such as the Harpa Concert Hall and the National Museum of Iceland , though they're generally only offered in Icelandic.

Photo from Flickr, Creative Commons, by Sævar Helgi Bragason . Astronomical photography exhibition by Hallgrimskirkja church on Culture Night, 2009.

There are usually exhibitions and performances on the city streets, along with flea markets and garage sales. Some locals even open their homes and offer waffles and coffee in the afternoon!

Wherever you go in Reykjavik, you're sure to find things going on, so take the time to explore. If you feel lost, just follow the crowds or check out the Culture Night schedule .

• Try the Best Brunch in Reykjavik  to fuel your day
• If you're an early bird, check out the  Best Breakfast Places in Reykjavik !

  What to Do With Kids on Culture Night

In 2023, the National Museum of Iceland hosted a market with the Rimmugygur Viking reenactment group. Photo from the National Museum of Iceland .

During Culture Night, Reykjavik transforms into a giant playground for curious minds. With so much to see and do, it's the perfect time to explore the city with your little ones!

Many museums offer special activities geared towards kids, like face painting, arts and crafts workshops, or even interactive exhibits and events. Also, keep an eye out for scavenger hunts and silent discos, which have been very popular in recent years.

As you walk around Reykjavik, you may also see jugglers, magicians, and street musicians keep everyone entertained, though this will depend on each year's schedule. Most cafés and restaurants also stay open, so grab a warm drink and a delicious treat to fuel your adventures. If luck is with you and the weather is nice, you can even enjoy an afternoon coffee break in one of the parks in Reykjavik !

• See more:  What to Do with Young Kids in the Reykjavik Area
• See also:  What to Do with Older Kids in the Reykjavik Area

  The Reykjavik Marathon on Culture Night

Photo taken from Reykjavíkurmaraþon Íslandsbanka, by Bjarki Jóhannsson .

One event has become an integral part of Culture Night, and that is the Reykjavik Marathon! It has taken place yearly since 1984 (except in 2020 and 2021), and there are four different categories you can participate in.

For those in it for the good times, there's the short and family-friendly Fun Run, which covers a distance of either 1 mile (1,7 kilometers) or 1.8 miles (3 kilometers). It leads through Reykjavik's winding streets and is a great way to explore some of the city if you're in an extreme hurry!

The most popular lengths are the 6,2-mile (10-kilometer) run and the half marathon (13,11 miles/21,1 kilometers). They lead all the way to Seltjarnarnes , with the half marathon also going past most of the Reykjavik coastline.

Photo from Flickr, Creative Commons, by Helgi Halldórsson .

For those who want to truly challenge themselves, take on the full 26,2-mile marathon (42,2 kilometers). It goes around a large part of Reykjavik and reaches all the way to Ellidaardalur valley!

If you choose to race, you can expect enthusiastic cheers from spectators and a contagious city vibe. You can easily register for the run on the Reykjavik Marathon website . If you prefer to take it easy, participate in the fun with the onlookers.

You can also show your support directly, as many participants of the Reykjavik Marathon run in support of a specific charity. People can choose a runner to support with donations, and all money goes to the runner's chosen charity.

Every year, many organizations receive a great deal of funding from runners and their supporters. In 2023, a new record amount was raised, with a total of 199,932,170 Icelandic Krona being donated, which is approximately 1,433,925 USD!

Photo taken from the website of Reykjavik City . The free open-air concert on Arnarholl hill in 2023.

The evening is the time Culture Night really amps up. There are concerts all around the Reykjavik center, but the biggest one by far is on Arnarholl hill where a huge crowd gathers to enjoy music by popular Icelandic artists for free! The line-up changes yearly, but it's always the biggest event of Culture Night, with people of all ages attending.

There are also smaller concerts going on in cafés, bars, and galleries if you want a more intimate atmosphere. Some exhibitions and activities also stretch on to late in the evening if you prefer something different.

If you're planning on grabbing dinner at a restaurant, make sure to book with good notice, as they tend to be packed on Culture Night. In recent years, there has also been a food truck celebration called the Street Bite or "Götubitinn," which is a lot of fun and goes on throughout the day and evening. Just make sure to check the current schedule to see if it will be on offer when you're taking part!

• Enjoy a dinner at one of the Best Restaurants in Reykjavik !

Photo from Flickr, Creative Commons, by Finnur Malmquist .   

As the evening progresses, the mood shifts and the famous Reykjavik nightlife takes over! The Culture Night formally ends with a huge fireworks show in the Reykjavik harbor , which starts at 11 PM. Everyone gathers in the city center or around high points around the Capital Region to take in the splendor. Afterward, the night of partying can really begin.

Along with New Year's Eve, Culture Night is one of the biggest party nights of the year in Iceland, so you should definitely stay downtown if experiencing it is on your bucket list. Just know that the bars and clubs will be very crowded!

• Check out the  Reykjavik Nightlife Guide: The Best Bars and Clubs in Iceland
• Learn more about  New Year's Eve in Iceland

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Photo from Flickr, Creative Commons, by Rog01 . The concert on Arnarholl hill is the biggest event of Culture Night.

Culture Night is one of the best times to be in Reykjavik, as there are so many great events and activities to try! Get to know different Icelandic artists, listen to local music, learn about the culture, try tasty food, and much more.

Make sure to plan a weekend in Reykjavik if you're visiting Iceland around the first Saturday after August 18th. You're sure to have a great time taking in the lively atmosphere among the locals, with no risk of running out of fun things to experience!

Will you take part in Culture Night this August? Are there any specific events you wouldn't want to miss out on? Have you taken part in an Icelandic festival before? Share your thoughts in the comment section below!

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Watch CBS News

"Extreme" G5 geomagnetic storm reaches Earth, NOAA says, following "unusual" solar event

By Li Cohen

Updated on: May 11, 2024 / 8:32 PM EDT / CBS News

An "extreme" G5 geomagnetic storm reached Earth on Friday, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said , after issuing a watch earlier in the day warning of the potential for a severe impact. 

The watch followed days of solar activity that sent several explosions of plasma and magnetic fields toward Earth. 

G5 is the strongest level of geomagnetic storm , on a scale from G1 to G5. 

"Widespread voltage control problems and protective system problems can occur," NOAA warns. "Some grid systems may experience complete collapse or blackouts. Transformers may experience damage." 

Radio transmissions and satellite navigation may also be disrupted.

The last G5 geomagnetic storm, in October 2003, caused power outages in Sweden and damaged transformers in South Africa.

A geomagnetic storm also means aurora borealis , otherwise known as the northern lights , could be seen as far south as Alabama and in Northern California. 

Earlier, NOAA had issued its first watch for a potential G4-level geomagnetic storm in almost 20 years. "If geomagnetic storms were hurricanes, 'severe' would be category 4," SpaceWeather.com says. 

In a press release on Thursday, NOAA said the most recent series of solar events started on May 8, when a large cluster of sunspots produced "several moderate to strong solar flares." Solar flares are bursts of radiation known to be the solar system's largest explosive events, according to NASA. The area where the flares are occurring is 16 times the diameter of Earth, the NOAA said, and more solar activity is expected. 

That sunspot is so big you may be able to see it with your own eyes  — with your solar eclipse glasses. The spot is known as AR3664 , and it was responsible for most of the geomagnetic activity Friday, the NOAA reported. According to Space.com, it measures about 124,000 miles across and is one of the "largest and most active sunspots seen this solar cycle." 

The NOAA reported that a strong solar flare was observed peaking from AR3664 at 9:23 p.m. Eastern Time Friday. 

"Flares of this magnitude are not frequent," the prediction center said . 

Still have your solar eclipse glasses? There's currently a sunspot so large you will be able to "spot" it while wearing them 15x wider than the earth! pic.twitter.com/XpQJEd4Qk0 — Eric Fisher (@ericfisher) May 9, 2024

There has also been a series of coronal mass ejections (CMEs), which are explosions of plasma  and magnetic fields that come out of the sun's corona, the outermost part of the sun's atmosphere. At least five CMEs appear directed toward Earth and could arrive as early as midday on Friday and persist through Sunday, the agency said. 

"This is an unusual event," NOAA said.

In a call with reporters on Friday, Shawn Dahl, service coordinator at the Space Weather Prediction Center, said that some CMEs "are catching up with other ones." He said officials are expecting a "big shock arrival" when they hit Earth. Dahl said at the time that while officials weren't predicting a G5 storm — the strongest of geomagnetic storms — they couldn't discount a "low-end G5 event."

"We're really buckling down here," Brent Gordon, chief of the space weather services branch, also said on the call.

G4 conditions were detected by Friday afternoon, marking a "major disturbance in Earth's magnetic field," NOAA said, adding that "the public should stay properly informed of storm progression."  

In a forecast discussion at 12:30 p.m. on Friday, NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center said that solar activity is expected to continue at "high to very high levels" through the weekend, with additional solar flares expected, including X-class flares , the most powerful class of solar flares.

As of Friday afternoon, NOAA said it had observed a moderate solar radiation storm that could expose people in high-flying aircraft to "elevated radiation risk" and cause infrequent issues with satellite operations. 

Radio blackouts have also been detected with an R3 designation, meaning that the blackouts were "strong" on a scale from R1 (minor) to R5 (extreme). At this level, wide blackouts of HF radio communication is expected, as well as loss of radio contact, for about an hour on the sunlit side of Earth, as low-frequency navigation signals decline for roughly an hour. 

"Geomagnetic storms can impact infrastructure in near-Earth orbit and on Earth's surface, potentially disrupting communications, the electric power grid, navigation, radio and satellite operations," NOAA said. "[The Space Weather Prediction Center] has notified the operators of these systems so they can take protective action."

Dahl agreed Friday that the event is "pretty extraordinary" and said that it could impact infrastructure, including high-voltage transmission lines of the power grid. Dahl said that infrastructure operators have been notified to adequately prepare. 

This is the first time a storm watch has been issued for a G4 since January 2005. There is an average of 100 severe geomagnetic storms every solar cycle, but so far, there have only been three observed in the most recent cycle that began in December 2019. The most recent occurred on March 23. 

• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Li Cohen is a social media producer and trending content writer for CBS News.

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When could you see the northern lights? Aurora forecast for over a dozen states this weekend

Read the latest on the northern lights this weekend: Saturday's forecast says parts of U.S. could see auroras .

A series of strong solar flares that the sun has been emitting since Wednesday morning could cause the northern lights to become visible this weekend to a wide swath of the United States.

The coronal mass ejections (CMEs) hurtling toward Earth prompted the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to issue a rare  Severe (G4) Geomagnetic Storm Watch on Thursday for the first time in 19 years. The geomagnetic storms that the CMEs would produce pose a limited threat to our communications, but they can also trigger the aurora borealis, better known as the northern lights.

And because the sun is at the height of its 11-year-cycle, the auroras have a very good chance of being seen by more Americans than usual .

Here's what to know about the northern lights, and when and where you may catch a glimpse of them this weekend.

Good news on northern lights: Experts predict years of awesome aurora viewing

What are the northern lights?

The auroras are a natural light display in Earth's sky that are famously best seen in high-latitude regions.

The northern lights materialize when energized particles from the sun reach Earth's upper atmosphere at speeds of up to 45 million mph, according to Space.com . Earth's magnetic field redirects the particles toward the poles through a process that produces a stunning display of rays, spirals and flickers that has fascinated humans for millennia.

Geomagnetic storm: Solar storm is powerful enough to disrupt communications: Why NOAA says not to worry

When might the northern lights be most visible?

This week's solar activity brings with it the increased possibility of seeing the aurora across the U.S.

Though the timing is uncertain and the northern lights can be a particularly fickle forecast , officials at NOAA said the coronal mass ejections could reach Earth as early as Friday evening into Saturday, Shawn Dahl, a space weather forecaster at SWPC, told reporters Friday morning during a news briefing.

Experts from NOAA said auroras could be visible into Sunday.

The best aurora is usually within an hour or two of midnight (between 10:00 p.m. and 2:00 a.m. local time). These hours expand towards evening and morning as the level of geomagnetic activity increases, according to NOAA.

Where might the northern lights be best seen in the US?

The northern half of the U.S. is forecasted to be in the view path where the auroras may be most visible.

The best chances appear to be in northern Montana, Minnesota, Wisconsin and the majority of North Dakota, according to SWPC's  experimental Aurora viewline . The visibility for viewing will also depend on local weather conditions and city lights.

Experts at NOAA said the northern lights may even be visible as far south as Alabama and Northern California. If all else fails, experts even recommend taking a photo of the night sky with your cell phone – you never known what you may capture.

"Things that the human eye can't see, your phone can, so it'll be interesting to see just how far south we're getting aurora images this time," said Brent Gordon, Chief of Space Weather Services Branch for SWPC, on the Friday call with reporters.

The National Weather Service on Friday shared an aurora forecast for Friday night and early Saturday morning, showing more than a dozen states with at least a chance to see the lights.

How does the solar maximum influence the northern lights?

Explosive bursts of radiation known as solar flares and coronal mass ejections (eruptions of solar material) drive the geometric storms, releasing solar particles and electromagnetic radiation toward our planet.

As the frequency of coronal mass ejections increases at the height of its 11-year cycle,  which NASA said is expected to be in 2025 , electromagnetic activity on the sun peaks. What that so-called "solar maximum" means for us is that the risk increases for disruption to satellite signals, radio communications, internet and electrical power grids.

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Last December , a powerful burst of energy created the largest solar flare that NASA had detected since 2017.

The last G4 level solar storm hit Earth in March , one of only three storms of that severity observed since 2019, according to NOAA's Space Weather Prediction Center .

Just like in March, the upcoming solar storm will have particles flowing from the sun that get caught up in Earth's magnetic field, causing colorful auroras to form as they interact with molecules of atmospheric gases. The resulting glowing green and reddish colors of the aurora may be quite a sight to see.

Contributing: Doyle Rice, USA TODAY

Eric Lagatta covers breaking and trending news for USA TODAY. Reach him at [email protected]