Julian Cook Photography
Namaskard, Iceland
Námaskarð, situated 6km east of lake Mývatn at the foothills of the towering mountain Námafjall, is the name popularly given to Iceland’s best-known area of mud pools. The high-temperature geothermal area is more correctly known as Hverarðnd, although sometimes it is called the Námafjall Geothermal Area because of its proximity to the mountain.
Námaskarð earns its notoriety mainly because of its hot bubbling mud pools and sulphurous steam vents (solfataras or fumaroles) which are spread over an area of several acres. At a depth of 1000m, the temperature is above 200o C; even at the surface the mud in the pools can be at a temperature of 80-100o C so they must be approached with caution. The most active mud pools are those with a crater rim around them, formed from the splatter caused by escaping gas bubbles. The pools are not static but evolve over time, with new pools starting up and old ones dying out as the years pass.
The mud pools are like primitive chemical plants. Steam and water, percolating upwards through porous rock to the surface, contain dissolved chemicals and gases, mainly hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. When they react with oxygen in the air, mineral deposits, like sulphur and gypsum, are formed. Iron sulphide, commonly called pyrite, forms in the mud pools, giving them a dull blue-black hue. Also present is sulphuric acid, which breaks down the surrounding soil and rocks, forming sticky clay mud.
Namaskard, Iceland
Námaskarð, situated 6km east of lake Mývatn at the foothills of the towering mountain Námafjall, is the name popularly given to Iceland’s best-known area of mud pools. The high-temperature geothermal area is more correctly known as Hverarðnd, although sometimes it is called the Námafjall Geothermal Area because of its proximity to the mountain.
Námaskarð earns its notoriety mainly because of its hot bubbling mud pools and sulphurous steam vents (solfataras or fumaroles) which are spread over an area of several acres. At a depth of 1000m, the temperature is above 200o C; even at the surface the mud in the pools can be at a temperature of 80-100o C so they must be approached with caution. The most active mud pools are those with a crater rim around them, formed from the splatter caused by escaping gas bubbles. The pools are not static but evolve over time, with new pools starting up and old ones dying out as the years pass.
The mud pools are like primitive chemical plants. Steam and water, percolating upwards through porous rock to the surface, contain dissolved chemicals and gases, mainly hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide. When they react with oxygen in the air, mineral deposits, like sulphur and gypsum, are formed. Iron sulphide, commonly called pyrite, forms in the mud pools, giving them a dull blue-black hue. Also present is sulphuric acid, which breaks down the surrounding soil and rocks, forming sticky clay mud.