View allAll Photos Tagged MudPool
"Artist Pallet" minerals give it its fantastic colours, a sulphurous yellow
Wai-O-Tapu near Rotorua New Zealand
Rotorua.
The city lies on the edge of a volcanic lake which is 12 kms long and 10 kms wide. Rotorua’s population is around 65,000 with outlying districts. About 15% of the population of NZ are Maori but Rotorua is a traditional Maori centre and the Maori population of Rotorua is over 35%. Roughly 28% of Maori people in Rotorua speak Maori. Despite tourism the unemployment rate for the Maoris is higher than the average for white New Zealanders. Rotorua is 950 feet or nearly 300 metres above sea level. It has a mild climate and snowfall is rare. It receives 1,440 mms of a rain a year or 58 inches, spread evenly across all months. It is an ideal climate for gardening! Rotorua means “second lake” in Maori but the term for the area by the lake is less flattering – “evil smelling place.” Apart from the thermal sights the town tried to emulate the European spa towns of old so the original Rotorua Bath House is Tudoresque in style. It was built in 1906-7 by the government as a health resort. The formal gardens surrounding it include a war memorial (built in 1927) for the local Maori soldiers who had been in conflict with the Pakeha in the 19th century. St. Faith’s Anglican Church was also built in the Tudor style in 1910. Near the church is a bust of Queen Victoria given by the Queen herself in 1870 to the Arawa Maori people because they supported the government during the Maori Land Wars. The gardens themselves were a gift from the Maori people to the city of Rotorua and they were given in 1883. The government took control of the gardens after 1898. Over 420,000 bedding plants are used in the floral displays annually in addition to orchids, roses and shrubs. Over 1.3 million people visit Rotorua annually with two thirds of them being international visitors.
Some Geography of the Rotorua Area.
Rotorua’s hot springs and mud pools and geysers are powered by the collision between two immense tectonic plates. Just east of the North Island the sea floor of the Pacific plate slides under the lighter continental crust of the Indo-Australian plate and continues to push forward while sinking at an angle underneath the North Island. When the sinking Pacific plate reaches a depth of about 80 kms it melts and great streams of hot lava come pushing their way up to the surface. A particular feature of Rotorua is that this part of the crust of the Indo-Australian plate is not very thick at this point only 15-20 kms instead of the more usual 35-45 kms of thickness. This means the effects of the molten lava or magma is intensified around Rotorua. The Taupo Volcanic Zone follows the line where the descending plate hits 80 kms beneath and the hot lava rises to near the surface. This line actually extends under the sea all the way past Tonga then north to the equator and it is part of the “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The volcanoes of the Philippines, Japan and Alaska and Washington State in the US are all part of this ring. The fault lines of California are also part of this ring.
Most houses and business of Rotorua have bores going down to tap the hot water from the mineral pools for their hot water supplies. There were so many bores that at one time the water table started to drop and thermal features of geysers at Whakarewarewa became less active. Since then the City limits the number of new bores. The geysers and bubbling pools of mud found at Whakarewarewa (the main geyser is Pohutu) can also emerge overnight in suburban lawns and city parks with spectacular results. Most of Rotorua smells strongly of hydrogen sulphide the gas given off by the springs and mud. It is harmless to tourists. Not far from Rotorua are three major active volcanoes- Ruapehu (the highest in the North Island) Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The zone of active volcanoes extends across to the east coast and the most recent volcano is White Island, 50 kms from Whakatane. It is still being formed and grows in size most years. In this central volcanic zone there are 130 volcanic cones or domes. In the past there have been at least seven major explosions. When pressure builds up too quickly as the plates move a volcanic explosion is usually the result. The hydrothermal zones near Rotorua are used for electricity generation. Water temperatures within these fields can be as high as 320 degrees centigrade and in places the thermal pools are only half a km underground. On some pools sulphur crusts form on the edge of lakes to produce vibrant orange-yellow lines and stains. This thermal zone has been active for more than 100,000 years.
In 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption hence the buried village of Te Wairo. Much later a similar kind of disaster happened in this region. A small crater on the side of Mt Ruapehu (2,800 metre high) exploded in 1953 sending a mud slide down the mountain side which flowed into the Whangaehu River. This was on Christmas Eve 1953. Unfortunately the flood washed away the rail bridge on the main Wellington to Auckland railway line. The first six carriages of the overnight sleeper train along with the train engine plunged into the swollen river. The Tangiwai disaster claimed the lives of 151 of the 285 people on board the train that night. Almost all those who perished were in second class carriages at the front of the train. In those days leading politicians did not rely on experts. The NZ Prime Minster sped down from Auckland by car during the night and coordinated rescue operations himself on site! He coordinated the rescue work of railway, army, police, navy, local farmers and undertakers!
Krafla is a caldera of about 10 km in diameter with a 90 km long fissure zone, in the north of Iceland in the Mývatn region. Its highest peak reaches up to 818 m and it is 2 km in depth. There have been 29 reported eruptions in recorded history.
The Krafla area also includes Námafjall, a geothermal area with boiling mudpools and steaming fumaroles.
Between 1975 and 1984 there was a volcanic episode within the Krafla volcano. It involved nine volcanic eruptions and fifteen uplift and subsidence events. This interrupted some of the Krafla drillfields. During these events a large magma chamber emerged. This has been identified by analysing the seismic activity.
Since 1977 the Krafla area has been the source of the geothermal energy used by a 60 MWe power station. A survey undertaken in 2006 indicated very high temperatures at depths of between 3 and 5 kilometres and these favourable conditions have led to the development of the first well from the Iceland Deep Drilling Project (IDDP), that found magma only 2.1 km deep. [from Wikipedia]
No Group Invites with Graphics Please
Please contact me before using this photography
© All rights reserved
Just off the road to Krýsuvík is a solfatara field at Seltún, Iceland which contains mud pools, acidic hot springs; fumaroles and steaming ground. Fumaroles in the area deposit sulfur and sulphates on the ground near the vents. Fumaroles whose steam is rich in sulfur are called solfataras. The main sulphur area is a fumarole field that lies southwest of the boardwalk at Seltún but sulfur and sulphates around some of the steam vents, mud pools and acidic hot springs were visible to us as we strolled along the boardwalk.
Seltún is part of the large Krýsuvík Geothermal field which lies on one of the NE-SW trending volcanic systems that cross the Reykjanes Peninsula. The volcanic zones lie in the middle of the fissure zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which traverses Iceland and are visible along the south of Reykjanes.
In the mid-20th century there were plans to develop the geothermal field for utilization, including power production, and Seltún then became one of the main drilling targets. There are old drill pads to be seen near the path along the creek. According to the Iceland Geosurvey (ISOR) one of the "boreholes started erupting intermittently in the winter of 2010". They reported that an interval of a few days between the eruptions. We found the spot but on two different visits to the field I saw no sign of geyser activity. ISOR also reports "another old borehole blew up in 1999 forming a crater with a diameter of about 30 m, now filled by mud except where a flow of steam keeps boiling pits open". That unexpected explosion in 1999 reportedly caused the geothermal project to be halted. The springs have been preserved due to the lack of drilling and geothermal exploitation.
Temperatures are over 200 degrees C just below the surface. Geologist from the Iceland Geosurvey believe "the water of the pools is surface water heated by steam from a boiling geothermal reservoir. Accompanying gases such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide acidify the water and alter the rock to clay. Only the uppermost 300 m of the reservoir at Seltún is boiling, i.e., follows the boiling curve in accordance with increasing pressure. Below this depth, a temperature inversion occurs, indicating that the boiling section is fed laterally from an upflow some distance away.”
The geothermal field is located in the Reykjanes Geopark.
Geologic and geothermal info from Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR) . Some text in the caption from their web page at: www.geothermal.is/17-seltun-high-temperature-area-solfataras
No animals were hurt in the taking of these photographs. The rooster has never visited the boiling mud pools as far as I know but as I must reluctantly admit I do not know everything.
Námafjall geothermal area. Boiling mudpools and steaming fumaroles punctuate the sulphur stained landscape.
The Oniishibozu-Jigoku, “Shaven head Hell”, is another of Beppu’s “Hells”, a boiling, smelly pool of mud that got its name from the large round mud bubbles that look like the bald head of a Buddhist monk.
Just off the road to Krýsuvík is a solfatara field at Seltún, Iceland which contains mud pools, acidic hot springs; fumaroles and steaming ground. Fumaroles in the area deposit sulfur and sulphates on the ground near the vents. Fumaroles whose steam is rich in sulfur are called solfataras. The main sulphur area is a fumarole field that lies southwest of the boardwalk at Seltún but sulfur and sulphates occur around many of the steam vents, mud pools and acidic hot springs. Yellow spots of sulphur were visible to us as we strolled along the boardwalk.
Seltún is part of the large Krýsuvík Geothermal field which lies on one of the NE-SW trending volcanic systems that cross the Reykjanes Peninsula. The volcanic zones lie in the middle of the fissure zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which traverses Iceland and are visible along the south of Reykjanes.
In the mid-20th century there were plans to develop the geothermal field for utilization, including power production, and Seltún then became one of the main drilling targets. There are old drill pads to be seen near the path along the creek. According to the Iceland Geosurvey (ISOR) one of the "boreholes started erupting intermittently in the winter of 2010". They reported that an interval of a few days between the eruptions. We found the spot but on two different visits to the field I saw no sign of geyser activity. ISOR also reports "another old borehole blew up in 1999 forming a crater with a diameter of about 30 m, now filled by mud except where a flow of steam keeps boiling pits open". That unexpected explosion in 1999 reportedly caused the geothermal project to be halted. The springs have been preserved due to the lack of drilling and geothermal exploitation.
Temperatures are over 200 degrees C just below the surface. Geologist from the Iceland Geosurvey believe "the water of the pools is surface water heated by steam from a boiling geothermal reservoir. Accompanying gases such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide acidify the water and alter the rock to clay. Only the uppermost 300 m of the reservoir at Seltún is boiling, i.e., follows the boiling curve in accordance with increasing pressure. Below this depth, a temperature inversion occurs, indicating that the boiling section is fed laterally from an upflow some distance away."
The geothermal field is located in the Reykjanes Geopark.
Geologic and geothermal info from Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR) . Some text in the caption from their web page at: www.geothermal.is/17-seltun-high-temperature-area-solfataras
Dipping into the therapeutic natural volcanic mud at Survivor Island (Pulau Tiga) in Sabah, Malaysian Borneo. More info can be found at this website: geography.about.com/library/weekly/aa062800a.htm
Rotorua.
The city lies on the edge of a volcanic lake which is 12 kms long and 10 kms wide. Rotorua’s population is around 65,000 with outlying districts. About 15% of the population of NZ are Maori but Rotorua is a traditional Maori centre and the Maori population of Rotorua is over 35%. Roughly 28% of Maori people in Rotorua speak Maori. Despite tourism the unemployment rate for the Maoris is higher than the average for white New Zealanders. Rotorua is 950 feet or nearly 300 metres above sea level. It has a mild climate and snowfall is rare. It receives 1,440 mms of a rain a year or 58 inches, spread evenly across all months. It is an ideal climate for gardening! Rotorua means “second lake” in Maori but the term for the area by the lake is less flattering – “evil smelling place.” Apart from the thermal sights the town tried to emulate the European spa towns of old so the original Rotorua Bath House is Tudoresque in style. It was built in 1906-7 by the government as a health resort. The formal gardens surrounding it include a war memorial (built in 1927) for the local Maori soldiers who had been in conflict with the Pakeha in the 19th century. St. Faith’s Anglican Church was also built in the Tudor style in 1910. Near the church is a bust of Queen Victoria given by the Queen herself in 1870 to the Arawa Maori people because they supported the government during the Maori Land Wars. The gardens themselves were a gift from the Maori people to the city of Rotorua and they were given in 1883. The government took control of the gardens after 1898. Over 420,000 bedding plants are used in the floral displays annually in addition to orchids, roses and shrubs. Over 1.3 million people visit Rotorua annually with two thirds of them being international visitors.
Some Geography of the Rotorua Area.
Rotorua’s hot springs and mud pools and geysers are powered by the collision between two immense tectonic plates. Just east of the North Island the sea floor of the Pacific plate slides under the lighter continental crust of the Indo-Australian plate and continues to push forward while sinking at an angle underneath the North Island. When the sinking Pacific plate reaches a depth of about 80 kms it melts and great streams of hot lava come pushing their way up to the surface. A particular feature of Rotorua is that this part of the crust of the Indo-Australian plate is not very thick at this point only 15-20 kms instead of the more usual 35-45 kms of thickness. This means the effects of the molten lava or magma is intensified around Rotorua. The Taupo Volcanic Zone follows the line where the descending plate hits 80 kms beneath and the hot lava rises to near the surface. This line actually extends under the sea all the way past Tonga then north to the equator and it is part of the “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The volcanoes of the Philippines, Japan and Alaska and Washington State in the US are all part of this ring. The fault lines of California are also part of this ring.
Most houses and business of Rotorua have bores going down to tap the hot water from the mineral pools for their hot water supplies. There were so many bores that at one time the water table started to drop and thermal features of geysers at Whakarewarewa became less active. Since then the City limits the number of new bores. The geysers and bubbling pools of mud found at Whakarewarewa (the main geyser is Pohutu) can also emerge overnight in suburban lawns and city parks with spectacular results. Most of Rotorua smells strongly of hydrogen sulphide the gas given off by the springs and mud. It is harmless to tourists. Not far from Rotorua are three major active volcanoes- Ruapehu (the highest in the North Island) Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The zone of active volcanoes extends across to the east coast and the most recent volcano is White Island, 50 kms from Whakatane. It is still being formed and grows in size most years. In this central volcanic zone there are 130 volcanic cones or domes. In the past there have been at least seven major explosions. When pressure builds up too quickly as the plates move a volcanic explosion is usually the result. The hydrothermal zones near Rotorua are used for electricity generation. Water temperatures within these fields can be as high as 320 degrees centigrade and in places the thermal pools are only half a km underground. On some pools sulphur crusts form on the edge of lakes to produce vibrant orange-yellow lines and stains. This thermal zone has been active for more than 100,000 years.
In 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption hence the buried village of Te Wairo. Much later a similar kind of disaster happened in this region. A small crater on the side of Mt Ruapehu (2,800 metre high) exploded in 1953 sending a mud slide down the mountain side which flowed into the Whangaehu River. This was on Christmas Eve 1953. Unfortunately the flood washed away the rail bridge on the main Wellington to Auckland railway line. The first six carriages of the overnight sleeper train along with the train engine plunged into the swollen river. The Tangiwai disaster claimed the lives of 151 of the 285 people on board the train that night. Almost all those who perished were in second class carriages at the front of the train. In those days leading politicians did not rely on experts. The NZ Prime Minster sped down from Auckland by car during the night and coordinated rescue operations himself on site! He coordinated the rescue work of railway, army, police, navy, local farmers and undertakers!
Rotorua.
The city lies on the edge of a volcanic lake which is 12 kms long and 10 kms wide. Rotorua’s population is around 65,000 with outlying districts. About 15% of the population of NZ are Maori but Rotorua is a traditional Maori centre and the Maori population of Rotorua is over 35%. Roughly 28% of Maori people in Rotorua speak Maori. Despite tourism the unemployment rate for the Maoris is higher than the average for white New Zealanders. Rotorua is 950 feet or nearly 300 metres above sea level. It has a mild climate and snowfall is rare. It receives 1,440 mms of a rain a year or 58 inches, spread evenly across all months. It is an ideal climate for gardening! Rotorua means “second lake” in Maori but the term for the area by the lake is less flattering – “evil smelling place.” Apart from the thermal sights the town tried to emulate the European spa towns of old so the original Rotorua Bath House is Tudoresque in style. It was built in 1906-7 by the government as a health resort. The formal gardens surrounding it include a war memorial (built in 1927) for the local Maori soldiers who had been in conflict with the Pakeha in the 19th century. St. Faith’s Anglican Church was also built in the Tudor style in 1910. Near the church is a bust of Queen Victoria given by the Queen herself in 1870 to the Arawa Maori people because they supported the government during the Maori Land Wars. The gardens themselves were a gift from the Maori people to the city of Rotorua and they were given in 1883. The government took control of the gardens after 1898. Over 420,000 bedding plants are used in the floral displays annually in addition to orchids, roses and shrubs. Over 1.3 million people visit Rotorua annually with two thirds of them being international visitors.
Some Geography of the Rotorua Area.
Rotorua’s hot springs and mud pools and geysers are powered by the collision between two immense tectonic plates. Just east of the North Island the sea floor of the Pacific plate slides under the lighter continental crust of the Indo-Australian plate and continues to push forward while sinking at an angle underneath the North Island. When the sinking Pacific plate reaches a depth of about 80 kms it melts and great streams of hot lava come pushing their way up to the surface. A particular feature of Rotorua is that this part of the crust of the Indo-Australian plate is not very thick at this point only 15-20 kms instead of the more usual 35-45 kms of thickness. This means the effects of the molten lava or magma is intensified around Rotorua. The Taupo Volcanic Zone follows the line where the descending plate hits 80 kms beneath and the hot lava rises to near the surface. This line actually extends under the sea all the way past Tonga then north to the equator and it is part of the “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The volcanoes of the Philippines, Japan and Alaska and Washington State in the US are all part of this ring. The fault lines of California are also part of this ring.
Most houses and business of Rotorua have bores going down to tap the hot water from the mineral pools for their hot water supplies. There were so many bores that at one time the water table started to drop and thermal features of geysers at Whakarewarewa became less active. Since then the City limits the number of new bores. The geysers and bubbling pools of mud found at Whakarewarewa (the main geyser is Pohutu) can also emerge overnight in suburban lawns and city parks with spectacular results. Most of Rotorua smells strongly of hydrogen sulphide the gas given off by the springs and mud. It is harmless to tourists. Not far from Rotorua are three major active volcanoes- Ruapehu (the highest in the North Island) Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The zone of active volcanoes extends across to the east coast and the most recent volcano is White Island, 50 kms from Whakatane. It is still being formed and grows in size most years. In this central volcanic zone there are 130 volcanic cones or domes. In the past there have been at least seven major explosions. When pressure builds up too quickly as the plates move a volcanic explosion is usually the result. The hydrothermal zones near Rotorua are used for electricity generation. Water temperatures within these fields can be as high as 320 degrees centigrade and in places the thermal pools are only half a km underground. On some pools sulphur crusts form on the edge of lakes to produce vibrant orange-yellow lines and stains. This thermal zone has been active for more than 100,000 years.
In 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption hence the buried village of Te Wairo. Much later a similar kind of disaster happened in this region. A small crater on the side of Mt Ruapehu (2,800 metre high) exploded in 1953 sending a mud slide down the mountain side which flowed into the Whangaehu River. This was on Christmas Eve 1953. Unfortunately the flood washed away the rail bridge on the main Wellington to Auckland railway line. The first six carriages of the overnight sleeper train along with the train engine plunged into the swollen river. The Tangiwai disaster claimed the lives of 151 of the 285 people on board the train that night. Almost all those who perished were in second class carriages at the front of the train. In those days leading politicians did not rely on experts. The NZ Prime Minster sped down from Auckland by car during the night and coordinated rescue operations himself on site! He coordinated the rescue work of railway, army, police, navy, local farmers and undertakers!
Rotorua.
The city lies on the edge of a volcanic lake which is 12 kms long and 10 kms wide. Rotorua’s population is around 65,000 with outlying districts. About 15% of the population of NZ are Maori but Rotorua is a traditional Maori centre and the Maori population of Rotorua is over 35%. Roughly 28% of Maori people in Rotorua speak Maori. Despite tourism the unemployment rate for the Maoris is higher than the average for white New Zealanders. Rotorua is 950 feet or nearly 300 metres above sea level. It has a mild climate and snowfall is rare. It receives 1,440 mms of a rain a year or 58 inches, spread evenly across all months. It is an ideal climate for gardening! Rotorua means “second lake” in Maori but the term for the area by the lake is less flattering – “evil smelling place.” Apart from the thermal sights the town tried to emulate the European spa towns of old so the original Rotorua Bath House is Tudoresque in style. It was built in 1906-7 by the government as a health resort. The formal gardens surrounding it include a war memorial (built in 1927) for the local Maori soldiers who had been in conflict with the Pakeha in the 19th century. St. Faith’s Anglican Church was also built in the Tudor style in 1910. Near the church is a bust of Queen Victoria given by the Queen herself in 1870 to the Arawa Maori people because they supported the government during the Maori Land Wars. The gardens themselves were a gift from the Maori people to the city of Rotorua and they were given in 1883. The government took control of the gardens after 1898. Over 420,000 bedding plants are used in the floral displays annually in addition to orchids, roses and shrubs. Over 1.3 million people visit Rotorua annually with two thirds of them being international visitors.
Some Geography of the Rotorua Area.
Rotorua’s hot springs and mud pools and geysers are powered by the collision between two immense tectonic plates. Just east of the North Island the sea floor of the Pacific plate slides under the lighter continental crust of the Indo-Australian plate and continues to push forward while sinking at an angle underneath the North Island. When the sinking Pacific plate reaches a depth of about 80 kms it melts and great streams of hot lava come pushing their way up to the surface. A particular feature of Rotorua is that this part of the crust of the Indo-Australian plate is not very thick at this point only 15-20 kms instead of the more usual 35-45 kms of thickness. This means the effects of the molten lava or magma is intensified around Rotorua. The Taupo Volcanic Zone follows the line where the descending plate hits 80 kms beneath and the hot lava rises to near the surface. This line actually extends under the sea all the way past Tonga then north to the equator and it is part of the “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The volcanoes of the Philippines, Japan and Alaska and Washington State in the US are all part of this ring. The fault lines of California are also part of this ring.
Most houses and business of Rotorua have bores going down to tap the hot water from the mineral pools for their hot water supplies. There were so many bores that at one time the water table started to drop and thermal features of geysers at Whakarewarewa became less active. Since then the City limits the number of new bores. The geysers and bubbling pools of mud found at Whakarewarewa (the main geyser is Pohutu) can also emerge overnight in suburban lawns and city parks with spectacular results. Most of Rotorua smells strongly of hydrogen sulphide the gas given off by the springs and mud. It is harmless to tourists. Not far from Rotorua are three major active volcanoes- Ruapehu (the highest in the North Island) Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The zone of active volcanoes extends across to the east coast and the most recent volcano is White Island, 50 kms from Whakatane. It is still being formed and grows in size most years. In this central volcanic zone there are 130 volcanic cones or domes. In the past there have been at least seven major explosions. When pressure builds up too quickly as the plates move a volcanic explosion is usually the result. The hydrothermal zones near Rotorua are used for electricity generation. Water temperatures within these fields can be as high as 320 degrees centigrade and in places the thermal pools are only half a km underground. On some pools sulphur crusts form on the edge of lakes to produce vibrant orange-yellow lines and stains. This thermal zone has been active for more than 100,000 years.
In 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption hence the buried village of Te Wairo. Much later a similar kind of disaster happened in this region. A small crater on the side of Mt Ruapehu (2,800 metre high) exploded in 1953 sending a mud slide down the mountain side which flowed into the Whangaehu River. This was on Christmas Eve 1953. Unfortunately the flood washed away the rail bridge on the main Wellington to Auckland railway line. The first six carriages of the overnight sleeper train along with the train engine plunged into the swollen river. The Tangiwai disaster claimed the lives of 151 of the 285 people on board the train that night. Almost all those who perished were in second class carriages at the front of the train. In those days leading politicians did not rely on experts. The NZ Prime Minster sped down from Auckland by car during the night and coordinated rescue operations himself on site! He coordinated the rescue work of railway, army, police, navy, local farmers and undertakers!
On one of our visits to Seltún, we encountered photographers and a model preparing to shoot photographs with the steam of an acidic hot springs behind her. The solfatara field at Seltún , Iceland contains mud pools, acidic hot springs; fumaroles and steaming ground. Fumaroles in the area deposit sulfur and sulphates on the ground near the vents. Fumaroles whose steam is rich in sulfur are called solfataras. The main sulphur area is a fumarole field that lies southwest of the boardwalk but sulfur and sulphates around some of the steam vents, mud pools and acidic hot springs were visible to us as we strolled along the boardwalk.
Seltún is part of the large Krýsuvík Geothermal field which lies on one of the NE-SW trending volcanic systems that cross the Reykjanes Peninsula. The volcanic zones lie in the middle of the fissure zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which traverses Iceland and are visible along the south of Reykjanes.
In the mid-20th century there were plans to develop the geothermal field for utilization, including power production, and Seltún then became one of the main drilling targets. There are old drill pads to be seen near the path along the creek. According to the Iceland Geosurvey (ISOR) one of the "boreholes started erupting intermittently in the winter of 2010". They reported that an interval of a few days between the eruptions. We found the spot but on two different visits to the field I saw no sign of geyser activity. ISOR also reports "another old borehole blew up in 1999 forming a crater with a diameter of about 30 m, now filled by mud except where a flow of steam keeps boiling pits open". That unexpected explosion in 1999 reportedly caused the geothermal project to be halted. The springs have been preserved due to the lack of drilling and geothermal exploitation.
Temperatures are over 200 degrees C just below the surface. Geologist from the Iceland Geosurvey believe "the water of the pools is surface water heated by steam from a boiling geothermal reservoir. Accompanying gases such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide acidify the water and alter the rock to clay. Only the uppermost 300 m of the reservoir at Seltún is boiling, i.e., follows the boiling curve in accordance with increasing pressure. Below this depth, a temperature inversion occurs, indicating that the boiling section is fed laterally from an upflow some distance away."
The geothermal field is located in the Reykjanes Geopark.
Geologic and geothermal info from Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR) . Some text in the caption from their web page at: www.geothermal.is/17-seltun-high-temperature-area-solfataras
Rotorua.
The city lies on the edge of a volcanic lake which is 12 kms long and 10 kms wide. Rotorua’s population is around 65,000 with outlying districts. About 15% of the population of NZ are Maori but Rotorua is a traditional Maori centre and the Maori population of Rotorua is over 35%. Roughly 28% of Maori people in Rotorua speak Maori. Despite tourism the unemployment rate for the Maoris is higher than the average for white New Zealanders. Rotorua is 950 feet or nearly 300 metres above sea level. It has a mild climate and snowfall is rare. It receives 1,440 mms of a rain a year or 58 inches, spread evenly across all months. It is an ideal climate for gardening! Rotorua means “second lake” in Maori but the term for the area by the lake is less flattering – “evil smelling place.” Apart from the thermal sights the town tried to emulate the European spa towns of old so the original Rotorua Bath House is Tudoresque in style. It was built in 1906-7 by the government as a health resort. The formal gardens surrounding it include a war memorial (built in 1927) for the local Maori soldiers who had been in conflict with the Pakeha in the 19th century. St. Faith’s Anglican Church was also built in the Tudor style in 1910. Near the church is a bust of Queen Victoria given by the Queen herself in 1870 to the Arawa Maori people because they supported the government during the Maori Land Wars. The gardens themselves were a gift from the Maori people to the city of Rotorua and they were given in 1883. The government took control of the gardens after 1898. Over 420,000 bedding plants are used in the floral displays annually in addition to orchids, roses and shrubs. Over 1.3 million people visit Rotorua annually with two thirds of them being international visitors.
Some Geography of the Rotorua Area.
Rotorua’s hot springs and mud pools and geysers are powered by the collision between two immense tectonic plates. Just east of the North Island the sea floor of the Pacific plate slides under the lighter continental crust of the Indo-Australian plate and continues to push forward while sinking at an angle underneath the North Island. When the sinking Pacific plate reaches a depth of about 80 kms it melts and great streams of hot lava come pushing their way up to the surface. A particular feature of Rotorua is that this part of the crust of the Indo-Australian plate is not very thick at this point only 15-20 kms instead of the more usual 35-45 kms of thickness. This means the effects of the molten lava or magma is intensified around Rotorua. The Taupo Volcanic Zone follows the line where the descending plate hits 80 kms beneath and the hot lava rises to near the surface. This line actually extends under the sea all the way past Tonga then north to the equator and it is part of the “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The volcanoes of the Philippines, Japan and Alaska and Washington State in the US are all part of this ring. The fault lines of California are also part of this ring.
Most houses and business of Rotorua have bores going down to tap the hot water from the mineral pools for their hot water supplies. There were so many bores that at one time the water table started to drop and thermal features of geysers at Whakarewarewa became less active. Since then the City limits the number of new bores. The geysers and bubbling pools of mud found at Whakarewarewa (the main geyser is Pohutu) can also emerge overnight in suburban lawns and city parks with spectacular results. Most of Rotorua smells strongly of hydrogen sulphide the gas given off by the springs and mud. It is harmless to tourists. Not far from Rotorua are three major active volcanoes- Ruapehu (the highest in the North Island) Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The zone of active volcanoes extends across to the east coast and the most recent volcano is White Island, 50 kms from Whakatane. It is still being formed and grows in size most years. In this central volcanic zone there are 130 volcanic cones or domes. In the past there have been at least seven major explosions. When pressure builds up too quickly as the plates move a volcanic explosion is usually the result. The hydrothermal zones near Rotorua are used for electricity generation. Water temperatures within these fields can be as high as 320 degrees centigrade and in places the thermal pools are only half a km underground. On some pools sulphur crusts form on the edge of lakes to produce vibrant orange-yellow lines and stains. This thermal zone has been active for more than 100,000 years.
In 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption hence the buried village of Te Wairo. Much later a similar kind of disaster happened in this region. A small crater on the side of Mt Ruapehu (2,800 metre high) exploded in 1953 sending a mud slide down the mountain side which flowed into the Whangaehu River. This was on Christmas Eve 1953. Unfortunately the flood washed away the rail bridge on the main Wellington to Auckland railway line. The first six carriages of the overnight sleeper train along with the train engine plunged into the swollen river. The Tangiwai disaster claimed the lives of 151 of the 285 people on board the train that night. Almost all those who perished were in second class carriages at the front of the train. In those days leading politicians did not rely on experts. The NZ Prime Minster sped down from Auckland by car during the night and coordinated rescue operations himself on site! He coordinated the rescue work of railway, army, police, navy, local farmers and undertakers!
Rotorua.
The city lies on the edge of a volcanic lake which is 12 kms long and 10 kms wide. Rotorua’s population is around 65,000 with outlying districts. About 15% of the population of NZ are Maori but Rotorua is a traditional Maori centre and the Maori population of Rotorua is over 35%. Roughly 28% of Maori people in Rotorua speak Maori. Despite tourism the unemployment rate for the Maoris is higher than the average for white New Zealanders. Rotorua is 950 feet or nearly 300 metres above sea level. It has a mild climate and snowfall is rare. It receives 1,440 mms of a rain a year or 58 inches, spread evenly across all months. It is an ideal climate for gardening! Rotorua means “second lake” in Maori but the term for the area by the lake is less flattering – “evil smelling place.” Apart from the thermal sights the town tried to emulate the European spa towns of old so the original Rotorua Bath House is Tudoresque in style. It was built in 1906-7 by the government as a health resort. The formal gardens surrounding it include a war memorial (built in 1927) for the local Maori soldiers who had been in conflict with the Pakeha in the 19th century. St. Faith’s Anglican Church was also built in the Tudor style in 1910. Near the church is a bust of Queen Victoria given by the Queen herself in 1870 to the Arawa Maori people because they supported the government during the Maori Land Wars. The gardens themselves were a gift from the Maori people to the city of Rotorua and they were given in 1883. The government took control of the gardens after 1898. Over 420,000 bedding plants are used in the floral displays annually in addition to orchids, roses and shrubs. Over 1.3 million people visit Rotorua annually with two thirds of them being international visitors.
Some Geography of the Rotorua Area.
Rotorua’s hot springs and mud pools and geysers are powered by the collision between two immense tectonic plates. Just east of the North Island the sea floor of the Pacific plate slides under the lighter continental crust of the Indo-Australian plate and continues to push forward while sinking at an angle underneath the North Island. When the sinking Pacific plate reaches a depth of about 80 kms it melts and great streams of hot lava come pushing their way up to the surface. A particular feature of Rotorua is that this part of the crust of the Indo-Australian plate is not very thick at this point only 15-20 kms instead of the more usual 35-45 kms of thickness. This means the effects of the molten lava or magma is intensified around Rotorua. The Taupo Volcanic Zone follows the line where the descending plate hits 80 kms beneath and the hot lava rises to near the surface. This line actually extends under the sea all the way past Tonga then north to the equator and it is part of the “Ring of Fire” that encircles the Pacific Ocean. The volcanoes of the Philippines, Japan and Alaska and Washington State in the US are all part of this ring. The fault lines of California are also part of this ring.
Most houses and business of Rotorua have bores going down to tap the hot water from the mineral pools for their hot water supplies. There were so many bores that at one time the water table started to drop and thermal features of geysers at Whakarewarewa became less active. Since then the City limits the number of new bores. The geysers and bubbling pools of mud found at Whakarewarewa (the main geyser is Pohutu) can also emerge overnight in suburban lawns and city parks with spectacular results. Most of Rotorua smells strongly of hydrogen sulphide the gas given off by the springs and mud. It is harmless to tourists. Not far from Rotorua are three major active volcanoes- Ruapehu (the highest in the North Island) Ngauruhoe and Tongariro. The zone of active volcanoes extends across to the east coast and the most recent volcano is White Island, 50 kms from Whakatane. It is still being formed and grows in size most years. In this central volcanic zone there are 130 volcanic cones or domes. In the past there have been at least seven major explosions. When pressure builds up too quickly as the plates move a volcanic explosion is usually the result. The hydrothermal zones near Rotorua are used for electricity generation. Water temperatures within these fields can be as high as 320 degrees centigrade and in places the thermal pools are only half a km underground. On some pools sulphur crusts form on the edge of lakes to produce vibrant orange-yellow lines and stains. This thermal zone has been active for more than 100,000 years.
In 1886 Mt Tarawera eruption hence the buried village of Te Wairo. Much later a similar kind of disaster happened in this region. A small crater on the side of Mt Ruapehu (2,800 metre high) exploded in 1953 sending a mud slide down the mountain side which flowed into the Whangaehu River. This was on Christmas Eve 1953. Unfortunately the flood washed away the rail bridge on the main Wellington to Auckland railway line. The first six carriages of the overnight sleeper train along with the train engine plunged into the swollen river. The Tangiwai disaster claimed the lives of 151 of the 285 people on board the train that night. Almost all those who perished were in second class carriages at the front of the train. In those days leading politicians did not rely on experts. The NZ Prime Minster sped down from Auckland by car during the night and coordinated rescue operations himself on site! He coordinated the rescue work of railway, army, police, navy, local farmers and undertakers!
Shot taken in a geothermal field in South-West Iceland, just beneath the lighthouse of Reykjanes called Reykjanesviti. Steaming springs, boiling sulphur and mud pools rich with chlorides and dissolved silica are characteristic for this area where below the surface temperatures of 300°C have been measured. Earthquakes are very common in the area being located on the Mid-Atlantic ridge. A distintive feature of the area is that the groundwater is salt due to the nearby sea.
294
Te Puia Valley and Pohutu.
Pohutu geyser, the most famous of the 65 geysers found in the Te Whakarewarewa Thermal Valley means big splash or explosion. Pohutu erupts up to 30 metres (100 foot), depending on her mood, up to 20 times each day. Maori regarded geysers and thermal activity as gifts from the gods when the Goddess of Fire emerged from the earth’s core. There are over 500 mud pools at Whakarewarewa. The mud pools are usually chloride pools with mud near boiling point and a build-up of silica around their rims or they are sulphate springs and they highly acidic and active. They are the ones associated with mud pools and fumes and the sulphates react with the rocks to sometimes produce multi-coloured rocks. Whakarewarewa thermal area also contains a Maori Marae or meeting house, a training school for young men wanting to become Maori carvers and a cultural centre.
Just off the road to Krýsuvík is a solfatara field at Seltún, Iceland which contains mud pools, acidic hot springs; fumaroles and steaming ground. Fumaroles in the area deposit sulfur and sulphates on the ground near the vents. Fumaroles whose steam is rich in sulfur are called solfataras. The main sulphur area is a fumarole field that lies southwest of the boardwalk at Seltún but sulfur and sulphates around some of the steam vents, mud pools and acidic hot springs were visible to us as we strolled along the boardwalk.
Seltún is part of the large Krýsuvík Geothermal field which lies on one of the NE-SW trending volcanic systems that cross the Reykjanes Peninsula. The volcanic zones lie in the middle of the fissure zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which traverses Iceland and are visible along the south of Reykjanes.
In the mid-20th century there were plans to develop the geothermal field for utilization, including power production, and Seltún then became one of the main drilling targets. There are old drill pads to be seen near the path along the creek. According to the Iceland Geosurvey (ISOR) one of the "boreholes started erupting intermittently in the winter of 2010". They reported that an interval of a few days between the eruptions. We found the spot but on two different visits to the field I saw no sign of geyser activity. ISOR also reports "another old borehole blew up in 1999 forming a crater with a diameter of about 30 m, now filled by mud except where a flow of steam keeps boiling pits open". That unexpected explosion in 1999 reportedly caused the geothermal project to be halted. The springs have been preserved due to the lack of drilling and geothermal exploitation.
Temperatures are over 200 degrees C just below the surface. Geologist from the Iceland Geosurvey believe "the water of the pools is surface water heated by steam from a boiling geothermal reservoir. Accompanying gases such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide acidify the water and alter the rock to clay. Only the uppermost 300 m of the reservoir at Seltún is boiling, i.e., follows the boiling curve in accordance with increasing pressure. Below this depth, a temperature inversion occurs, indicating that the boiling section is fed laterally from an upflow some distance away.”
The geothermal field is located in the Reykjanes Geopark.
Geologic and geothermal info from Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR) . Some text in the caption from their web page at: www.geothermal.is/17-seltun-high-temperature-area-solfataras
Geysir is a very surreal place to walk around, a thick silica crust covers the landscape with boiling waters surrounding you. The smell of sulphur ranges from manageable to sickly if you walk through the wrong cloud, and with Strokkur the geyser exploding every 3 minutes or so a few metres away in spectacular fashion to finish it all off.
Looking down through this fairly isolated geothermal pool, you can clearly see the deep ice-blue entry into the vent, a hue so familiar to Iceland but one I've never seen anywhere else and its breath-taking impression stays with you.
Looks good enough to jump in, but at near boiling point I wouldn't advise it ;-)
Gunnuhver is a name given to a region in Reykjanes full of active geothermal mud-pools and steam vents - the gases such as carbon dioxide and hydrogen sulphide present here turn the water very acidic which in turn alters the ever-present lava rock of the area into clay.
The name Gunnuhver is derived from a ghost, Gudrun Onundardottir (nicknamed Gunna), who was a crofter from near Kirkjubol, on land owned by lawyer Vilhjalmur Jonsson. When Gunna failed to pay the rent Vilhjalmur took away her only belongings, a cooking pot. Gunna became mad with fury, refused to drink holy water and dropped dead... On the way to the cemetery the men who carried Gunna's coffin noticed that it became suspiciously lighter. Whilst the grave was dug, people heard 'No need deep to dig, no plans long to lie' - Obviously this was Gunna talking, who had becaome a hateful ghost. The next night Vilhjalmur was found on the heath, blue and with broken bones - the revenge of Gunna.
After this the whole peninsula became haunted and soon Vilhjalmur's wife also died after seeing Gunna. Men were sent to a nearby pastor, a known sorceror, to help put Gunna down. He gave them a ball of yarn, Gunna was to take the loose end and the ball would roll to a place where she would do no more harm. Everything went to plan and the last seen of Gunna was her falling into the pit. Those with second sight have seen Gunna run around the edge of the pit following the ball and you can hear the sounds she makes when she is about to fall.
Just off the road to Krýsuvík is a solfatara field at Seltún which contains mud pools and steaming ground. Fumaroles in the area deposit sulfur and sulphates on the ground near the vents. Fumaroles whose steam is rich in sulpur are called solfataras. The main sulphur area is a fumarole field that lies southwest of the boardwalk at Seltún but sulpur and sulphates around some of the steam vents, mud pools and acidic hot springs were visible to us as we strolled along the boardwalk.
Seltún is part of the large Krýsuvík Geothermal field which lies on one of the NE-SW trending volcanic systems that cross the Reykjanes Peninsula. in Iceland. The volcanic zones lie in the middle of the fissure zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which traverses Iceland and are visible along the south of Reykjanes.
In the mid-20th century there were plans to develop the geothermal field for utilisation, including power production, and Seltún then became one of the main drilling targets. There are old drill pads to be seen near the path along the creek. According to the Iceland Geosurvey (ISOR) one of the "boreholes started erupting intermittently in the winter of 2010". They reported that an interval of a few days between the eruptions. We found the spot but on two different visits to the field I saw no sign of geyser activity. ISOR also reports "another old borehole blew up in 1999 forming a crater with a diameter of about 30 m, now filled by mud except where a flow of steam keeps boiling pits open". That unexpected explosion in 1999 reportly caused the geothermal project to be halted. The springs have been preserved due to the lack of drilling and geothermal exploitation.
Temperatures are over 200 degrees C just below the suface. Geologist from the Iceland Geosurvey believe "the water of the pools is surface water heated by steam from a boiling geothermal reservoir. Accompanying gases such as hydrogen sulphide and carbon dioxide acidify the water and alter the rock to clay. Only the uppermost 300 m of the reservoir at Seltún is boiling, i.e., follows the boiling curve in accordance with increasing pressure. Below this depth, a temperature inversion occurs, indicating that the boiling section is fed laterally from an upflow some distance away."
The geothermal field is located in the Reykjanes Geopark.
Geologic and geothermal info from Iceland GeoSurvey (ISOR) . Some text in the caption from their web page at: www.geothermal.is/17-seltun-high-temperature-area-solfataras
Bubbling mud pools at Námaskarð, north east Iceland.
Námaskarð is a geothermic area that lies at the foot of mount Námafjall (482 m) with numerous bubbling and steaming sulfur springs (up to 100 °C). For centuries the sulfur was excracted and transported to Europe for the manufacture of gunpowder. The area is characterized by a strong sulfur odor.
Námaskarð pass is situated in the north-east of lake Mývatn.
The title of the picture is inspired by the famous and beautiful novel Voyage au Centre de la Terre by the French science-fiction author Jules Verne.
--
VIDEO → THE WORLD AT THE END OF THE WORLD: waterfalls, deserts, fjords, canyons
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nature, travel, photography: MY YOUTUBE CHANNEL
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This one is very angry! Celui-ci est très en colère !
Marmite de boue bouillonnante à Namafjall (ou Namaskard).
A boiling mudpool at Namafjall.
Photo © Tristan Savatier - All Rights Reserved - License this photo on www.loupiote.com/20801986930
Share this photo on: facebook • twitter • more...
Bubbling mudpot in the Lassen Volcanic National Park (California).
A hot geothermal vent (fumarole) causes the mud pool to bubble. This is a common feature in volcanic areas.
View more photos of mudpots.
For more info about mudpots, read en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudpot.
If you like this photo, follow me on instagram (tristan_sf) and don't hesitate to leave a comment or email me.