Passing along an online report on changes at the Hveradalir geothermal area in Iceland that were posted at Iceland Monitor site.
Increased visible steam has been observed along the national highway through Hveradalir.
Geophysicist Ari Trausti Guðmundsson says that steam vents often form at relatively shallow depths in areas of geothermal activity and near hot springs.
“The best example is in Hverahlíð, south of the road leading up to Hellisheiði, where drilling was carried out for the Hellisheiði Power Plant. Suddenly, steam began rising from the hillside somewhat farther east,” he says.
Photos: Steam rising from the ground near the Ring Road
Back in August 2024 there was a landslide in the same area that exposed some buried features.
The landslide that took down material from the southeast side of Skíðaskálinn in Hveradalir in mid-July has probably broken the top layer of the soil above a steaming hot spring.
It is most likely that the combination of steam activity and high precipitation caused the landslide to occur at this time.
Photos: The landslide appears to have exposed a steam geyser
The main thermal area has a walkway and is easily accessible from the highway. We stopped in there when we visited in 2023. I remember a report from back then about steam appearing along the highway, but can't find it now, so this activity may not be that new.