The area around the geothermal baths of Iceland is covered with hundreds of acres of the hardcore sinew of the planet. It’s black, pockmarked, fresh and raw earth. This is the part of the mid-atlantic rift that happens to be above ground and these spontaneous geothermal pools appear in the wild. As I approached the blue lagoon, I found this glistening powder blue pond (no color added — promise!) with the steam of other vents in the distance.