Iceland is one of the most active volcanic regions in the world, located on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, where the Eurasian and North American Plates are moving apart. A mantle plume, thought to originate deep in the mantle, perhaps at the boundary between the core and the mantle at about 2,880 km (1,790 mi) depth, enhances the volcanism already caused by plate separation. In early August 2024, we went for a bike ride round some of the most active regions. Katla erupted under its ice cap on the day we landed, causing a glacial outburst that knocked out a bridge on the island's ring road. After three days in the Southern Highlands, skirting Katla to its North West, we headed for the Reykjanes Peninsular in the South West, which has seen ongoing eruptions since the 2021 eruption of Fagradalsfjall began a new period of volacnic activty after nearly 800 years of inactivity.