From Geysers to Glaciers: A Hands-On Thermodynamics Experience in Iceland

Thermodynamics is the study of heat, energy and how energy moves within physical systems, from why your coffee cools down to how power plants work to why you put on a coat when it’s freezing outside. 

At the University of California, Davis, the College of Engineering offers a summer study-abroad program titled “Thermodynamics in the Land of Fire and Ice” that teaches thermodynamics in an ideal environment where cold and heat are always on the brain: Iceland. 

“You just live and breathe thermodynamics there,” said Paul Erickson, a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering who started the program in 2015 and teaches the class. 

“Without thermodynamics, the people there would still be living in sod huts. They have abundant geothermal and hydroelectric energy and heavy industry,” he continued. “It’s a great place to showcase how engineering can help you have heavy industry in an environmentally sensitive place without destroying the environment.” 

During the four-week-long program, which typically takes place in June and July, the students attend an intensive thermodynamics course (“I don’t let up on the rigor,” said Erickson), which is a required course for mechanical engineering, aerospace science and engineering and biomedical engineering majors (pro tip: it also fulfills requirements for civil and environmental engineering majors). 

Educational field trips include visits to an aluminum smelting facility, geothermal power plants and a hydroelectric power station. 

Students can also take recreational field trips. In past study-abroad excursions, students have gone swimming in the effluent of the geothermal power plant and stood in the rift valley between the North American and Eurasian tectonic plates in Þingvellir National Park. They have crossed the Arctic Circle at Grímsey island and got up close and personal with puffins and other sea birds. 

Attendees will see the two-tiered waterfall Gullfoss and Strokkur Geyser, the most active geyser in Iceland that shoots hot water up to 100 feet in the air every five to 10 minutes. Students may also see a volcanic eruption, a giant rock thought to be an elf church, or Grjótagjá Cave, where volcanic activity in the 1970s and 80s heated up the water to more than 122 degrees Fahrenheit. (The cave is famous as the inspiration for a setting in the show Game of Thrones.)

Students should be prepared for weather akin to California winter — some days are rainy and cold, while others might be clear and sunny — and for the 24-hour daylight. It is in the Land of the Midnight Sun after all. One year, Erickson and some students even participated in a midnight sun fun run. 

Of course, traveling abroad is not just a chance to learn important knowledge in a rich environment and see cool stuff; it’s a chance for students to experience a bigger picture of the world. 

“No matter what it is, traveling in general offers an aspect of getting outside of yourself and expanding your world from outside of you,” said Erickson. “We need more STEM people to go overseas.” 

Even learning the material in an environment where thermodynamic concepts abound seems to make the information from a notoriously tough class stick, said Erickson. Some anecdotal feedback from over the years seems to indicate that students taking part in this program actually learned the information better than their California counterparts. 

Of course, the breathtaking views probably don’t hurt. 

“To be on top of the world for four weeks?” said Erickson, “What a place to study.” 

To learn more about Thermodynamics in the Land of Fire and Ice, visit the Global Learning Hub. The deadline to sign up for the Summer 2025 session is March 20.