The White Falcon - 01.08.1969, Side 10

10
THE WHITE FALCON
Friday, August 1, 1969
OAI THE GO... In And Around Iceland
by June W. Papin
Twelve miles south of the naval station, on the tip of
the Reykjanes Peninsula, barren lava fields cap a caul-
dron of seething, thermal activity.
Almost two years ago, as the result of earthquakes,
boiling water and jets of steam forced their way through
the porous lava beds producing bubbling thermal pots
and vapor trails throughout the area.
The area is bordered on the west by the Reykjanes
lighthouse whose concrete base still bears cracks
caused by the quake of September 1967.
During the initial phases of the thermal eruption, the
high, internal pressures forced water and vari-colored
earth material high above the surface. Since then, the
primary “hot spot” has been tapped and the live steam
directed through a pipe away from the road. The noise
generated by this rushing steam is tremendous and the
winds whip it around in various directions making a
beautiful sight, but dangerous if approached to closely.
Nature Takes Its Course
There are three, thermal pots still bubbling away.
One of them comes and goes, filled to the brim one min-
ute and then, like pulling the stopper from a bathtub,
the water disappears back into the depths with only a
whisper of steam remaining. Another of the pots has
enlarged to the point that the old road has had to be
closed. It flows over the edge of a gentle, stepped
slope, leaving behind a white residue, which looks like
smooth salt layers. The third pot is almost always
shrouded in steam vapor and expells hot water to‘a
height of two to three feet.
All over the slope of the mountain to the immediate
south of the pots, small fingers of steam dot the land-
scape. Care must be taken when walking through this
area, as the top eartl\ has been softened by the steam
and a careless footstep can result in severe bums.
Potential For Thermal Power Plant
The area is "being constantly studied by volcanolo-
gists, and other scientists interested in thermal activity.
Proposals are under way to use this tremendous source
of energy in a thermal power plant; which in turn, could
be used to extract valuable minerals from the nearby
ocean.
It is an easy 30 minute drive to this intriguing Reykja-
nes hot spot and I recommend that you visit it soon. As
you leave the main gate of the station, take the first
road to your right just a little ways outside the gate and
follow it almost to the lighthouse. Be sure to wear
heavy shoes and keep the children close to you. After
viewing the thermal scene, a climb up the mountain to
the base of the Lighthouse, will give you a splendid
view of the coastline and back across “steam valley”.