At first glance, it’s easy to confuse this photograph with an abstract painting, or a 3D render. These are the contrasting natural wonders that are the glacial river braids of Iceland. It’s common for glacial melt water to form braided streams on outwash plains, called sandurs. These sandurs, composed of a variety of dark basaltic volcanic material, which create their dynamic inexpressible combination of colors, lines, patterns and textures. These river braids are quite possibly the most breathtaking natural wonder to witness from above; the contrast of the vivid blue water and surrounding black desert is unlike anything I've ever seen in nature; truly a visceral experience. Networks of river channels flow from glaciers towards the sea, carrying vital nutrients for the ecosystem along the way, in the form of sediment.