The Geysir area in southern Iceland is a very popular tourist destination. There are scores of geysers – hot springs that regularly spew forth a fountain of boiling water and steam – that have given the area its name. Geyser Strokkur can erupt up to 35 meters high every few minutes.
Since the weekend, however, unusual hemothermic activity has occurred in the area. Hot springs that have long lain dormant now spray water up to two meters into the air.
The smaller hot springs boil furiously. This applies, for example, to the springs Blesi and Konungshver, which are located above Strokkur. However, the “main” geyser, simply called Geysir, has not erupted once and has not yet sprung to life.
But no changes have been registered on the Icelandic Meteorological Office’s instruments, suggesting that the activity is not a cause for concern. It is nevertheless closely monitored by the Icelandic Meteorological Office and the country’s civil defense.
“The area is dynamic”
A representative from the Environment Agency confirmed that many geysers in the area have become more powerful. Especially the geyser Strokkur, which has exhibited unusually strong eruptions, some have even propelled rocks along with the water.
– We have meetings to investigate what may have happened. We don’t see any seismic activity, but it could be that a crack has opened beneath us, causing water to move. The area is very dynamic and constantly changing, says Valdimar Kristjánsson, expert Iceland’s environmental authority.
Specialists from the Environment Agency, the Icelandic Meteorological Office and the Civil Defense met yesterday to discuss the unusual activity. The geysers are located along a fault trending from north-northeast to south-southwest, and less seismic activity or a lowering of the water table in this fault may be the cause.
If the water table is lowered, the boiling point also drops, which leads to increased steam production and more energetic eruptions.
Jóhanna Malen Skúladóttir, specialist in natural hazards at the Meteorological Office, stated that this is only a hypothesis at the moment, and investigations are ongoing.
Although the reason for the increased activity is still unclear, tourists are advised to exercise caution and keep a safe distance from the geysers.