Hverarond Geothermal Area, Iceland
January 24, 2013
Photographer: Stu Witmer
Summary Author: Stu Witmer
Iceland is being torn in two by the spreading of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. The Hverarond geothermal area, seen above, sits right on the ridge
where cracks in the ground are actively widening and new ones appear
every few months. Many of those cracks contain boiling mud pots, hot
springs, fumaroles and solfataras.
The smell of sulfur gas in the air is
almost palpable and thick deposits of gypsum and sulfur cover
the ground. There are very few safety precautions provided so you need
to watch where you walk (see inset) or you could be burned severely should you
break through the crust. The sulfur is almost pure and access was easy so
sulfur mining has gone on here for hundreds of years. Production ceased
when it was no longer economically viable in the mid-twentieth century.
The flat-topped mountain in the background is one of several mountains
in Iceland called Burfell (“cage mountain”). Photo taken September 10, 2011.
Photo details: Camera Maker: Canon; Camera Model: Canon PowerShot SD1300 IS; Focal Length: 5.0mm; Aperture: f/8.0; Exposure Time: 0.0050 s (1/200); ISO equiv: 80; Software: GIMP 2.6.11.