July 26, 2019

July 26, 2019

We woke to rainy weather in Myvatn, Iceland. Our good luck finally ran out.

Every day on our Ring Road adventure around Iceland has had a different emphasis. Myvatn showcases geothermal features. Since it is raining we start at the only indoor site, the Krafla Power Plant. Iceland is built by and atop still active volcanoes. That has been made clear to us everyday. The Blue Lagoon was Geothermal waste water. Hot water is piped to most homes in Iceland for heat. Reykjavik even heats the streets to avoid shoveling snow. The air in some locations reeks of sulfur and is often accompanied by smelly drinking water.

A tour of the Geothermal power plant here helps us learn more about this unique energy source. It turns out we picked the right plant to visit. Krafla was the first plant to use geothermal energy to produce electricity back in 1977. The plant has two films and several storyboards to explain the process. Boreholes are drilled in volcanically active areas that also are rich in groundwater. The holes release hot water and steam. Shallow wells produce water just hot enough for heating; deeper wells have water hot enough to produce steam and drive electric turbines. Surprisingly geothermal is not as inexpensive as I would have predicted. Although the fuel is free, the plants are costly to build and maintain. Geothermal produces about 20% of Iceland’s electricity, the rest comes from conventional hydroelectric dams.

From the power plant we explore the surrounding volcanic area. We start at Viti Cone where we can literally drive right to the edge. Inside is a vivid turquoise lake. Unfortunately it is still raining. We next hike out to Leirhnjukur Crater. The rain seems to be abating but the boardwalk is muddy and very slippery. We see a steaming, milky lake and fuming piles of lava.

We next drive back towards Myvatn stopping outside town at Namafjall Hverir geothermal area. It has a steaming brown hillside, a sulfur pot and several hissing steam jets. None of it is very interesting compared to Yellowstone.

I think we are getting lucky. The rain has stopped. We next drive down the east side of Lake Myvatn stopping at several sites. First is Hofoi Promontory, an overlook to view lava columns sticking up from the lake.

We make a brief stop for lunch before visiting the Skutustadir Pseudo-Craters. Apparently these cone shaped mounds were formed not by lava explosions but by steam belching from the magma.

Down the road is Dimmuborgir Lava Formations. This area has an extensive walking path that winds its way through a fantasy land of basalt rock shapes. It was formed when lava flowed over Lake Myvatn. One large formation called the Church has a wide arch-shaped opening.

Our last stop is at the immense Hverfjall Crater. It looks like the cinder cone volcanoes of Northern Arizona. It is a strenuous hike up to the rim. It was worth it to see the crater and the panoramic view.