Deep below the surface of Europe's largest glacier

The caverns are constantly moving and changing shape and can collapse in on explorers at any moment These breathtaking pictures show the ethereal beauty of the ice caves that lie deep below the surface of Europe's largest glacier.Skarphedinn Thrainsson risked his life to capture the magnificent

images at -120C under Vatnajokull in southern Iceland.
The glittering walls recently collapsed in on another photographer, and could have killed Mr
The glacier's caverns form when melt water reacts with the ice flow, and they are constantly moving and changing their shape.
Vatnajokull is 3,100 cubic kilometres and covers eight per cent of Iceland's surface. Its average thickness is 400m and it has seven active volcanoes beneath its surface, including Grimsvotn, which has recently erupted in 1996, 1998 and 2004.

Mr Thrainsson, 39, who also works as a mechanical engineer, said: 'The ice caves are many in the Icelandic glaciers on the south coast of Iceland, and also in the highlands.
'The size and formation changes every summer, when the most melting occurs.
'These two caves are about four metres high and ten metres long.
'Entering ice caves is dangerous, due to the fact that the ice can collapse any time.

'We had a recent tragic accident where a photographer died while exploring the glaciers in Iceland and it is advised never to hike alone into the glaciers.
'For safety reasons I'll not recommend anyone to travel into the glaciers without local guiding.
'The safest way is to enter the ice caves in a freezing period in winter, then it's less likely to collapse or ice fall on to your head. I took the pictures in December.'