Vigur Island, Iceland
Wave action continually batters the coasts of Iceland, but because of the island’s relatively young age and relative lack of sedimentary rocks, beaches here are generally composed of larger, courser fragments of stone than one might generally associate with beaches found on geologically older coastal areas. Because of Iceland’s active volcanic nature, the stones found here are variations on one theme, primarily igneous basalt in nature. However, as over 25 types of igneous rock have been found in Iceland, and as can be seen in this image, subtle variations in color bear witness to the diverse mineral content in what most people might identify solely as “lava”.