Geysir Revived by Earthquake

On Thursday 29th May, the day the southern Icelandic town of Selfoss experienced an earthquake, Iceland’s largest hot spring Geysir was revived!

Located in the geothermally active Haukadalur Valley, Geysir had been dormant for years but since Thursday’s earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, Geysir has been heating up and occasionally erupting! Earthquakes have been known to revive Geysir in previous years; with the earliest recording being an earthquake in 1896 causing the geyser to erupt numerous times a day but prior to that had been relatively dormant.   

Interestingly, Geysir is the oldest known geyser and it is thought that the English word ‘geyser’ is derived from Geysir, originating from the Icelandic word gjósa – ‘to erupt’. This natural phenomenon is fascinating to observe but a word of warning….Geysir eruptions have been known to shoot an astounding 60 metres of boiling water up into the air, so be careful not to stand too close!

If this geyser spectacle has sparked an interest in geothermal activity or perhaps Iceland itself, we offer tailor-made trips to Iceland including a Reykjavik city break with optional excursions, one being to visit the geysers. The classic day excursion from Reykjavik, the ‘Golden Circle’, encompasses Iceland’s trio of sights, namely Geysir with its spouting geysers!   

If you would like to see this impressive geyser phenomenon in a country with incredible beauty feel free to visit our website.