Page 235 - Volcano and Geothermal Tourism

212 Europe

attractions, as the original geyser after which all Also in this region is the explosion crater
others around the world are named. Kerið. It is a cinder cone considered to have
Historically Geysir is Iceland’s most famous erupted 5000–6000 years ago. Today much red
tourist attraction. It is the original hot water spout earth is visible on the inside of the crater, caused
from which all others are named. It has had a by oxidation of iron in the magma (Guðmundsson,
history of intermittent eruptions and in recent 2007). The bottom of the crater is below the
times earthquakes have tended to revive its activity. groundwater table so it is often covered in water.
Changes in the activity of the Geysir and the As with many geological features in Iceland, the
surrounding geysers are strongly related to geo-attraction is well interpreted with full signage
earthquake activity. In records dated 1630 the explaining its formation (Figure 14.3).
geysers erupted so violently that the valley around
them trembled. The Reykjanes peninsula
The neighbouring geyser Strokkur erupts to Nowhere on Earth is the junction between the
heights of up to 30m approximately every five American and European tectonic plates in the
minutes. Both Geysir and Strokkur are surrounded Earth’s crust as clear as on the Reykjanes peninsula
by 30 much smaller geysers and hot pools in the in the south-west. Here the plates diverge by as
area, including one called Litli Geysir (Little much as 2cm per year but the gap is constantly
Geysir). At the geyser site there is a tourist complex being filled, as volcanoes have been erupting
which contains a Geoscience Centre housing an regularly throughout Iceland’s history (Visit
audiovisual exhibition on geysers and volcanoes Iceland, 2009). The Reykjanes peninsula is an area
with an earthquake simulator (Figure 14.2). of dramatic lava landscapes, geothermal activity

Figure 14.2 Geysisstofa: An audiovisual exhibition on geysers and volcanoes

Ch14.indd 212 3/28/2010 1:30:12 PM