Our adventure began two years ago with a challenging 10-day voyage from Svalbard to the isolated island of Jan Mayen. Accessible only by boat, Jan Mayen is one of the most remote places on Earth, dominated by the towering Beerenberg volcano, the world’s northernmost active volcano. Our goal was clear: scale the volcano and collect basalt rock samples formed from ancient volcanic eruptions.

Expeditions like this are rare, as most of Jan Mayen is a nature reserve. We secured special permits from the Norwegian government, ensuring that our collection of basalt was responsible and sustainable.