Tag: Haukadalur

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Observations for 2023 September 27

Another side trip to watch an hour or so of Strokkur eruptions. Today it was raining but the wind wasn't as strong. Also early enough that we missed the tours. (although tour season seems to be pretty much over.)

In a series of fourteen eruptions, we saw a couple of two strong burst eruptions, along with along with at least three weak eruptions. The second bursts both came about 20 seconds after the first, when it looked like the pool was just trying to quietly refill. The weak eruptions were followed by short intervals, in one case well less than two minutes, while it was ten minutes following the two bursts. Most of the other intervals were around five to seven minutes.

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Observations for 2023 September 26

First we revisited Littli Geyser at Gamla Laugin/Secret Lagoon in Fluðir. While it was dry, it was also overcast and extremely windy (as in having to pay attention to the gusts or be blown over.)

The activity has changed a bit since the last visit three weeks ago. This time we saw six major eruptions from 9 to 12 minutes apart. The four eruptions for which I got a duration all lasted 38 seconds. In all cases the vent drained after the eruption as after the major eruptions in our previous visit.

Then it was on to Haukadalur. It's my opinion that the wind was having an adverse effect on Strokkur. We saw a number of weak eruptions, some only a couple of meters high. The intervals seemed longer also. That the runoff channel from the pool was exactly downwind could easily explain the changes.

While we did see some two burst eruptions, only once was the second burst powerful. The one three burst we saw had a boil up for the second, then a weak third burst.

I did finally get to see a full eruption of Alfaauga. I waited about half an hour, with overflows of increasing intensity occurring every eight minutes or so. Before the eruption there was strong conventing over the vent and some boiling up, but no splashes. Then an overflow continued and there was an eruption lasting just over two minutes. When it appeared that the pool had dropped down to the previous level between the overflows, I assumed I had seen the major eruption and left. (By then had been out in the wind for over 2-1/2 hours, and time to head in.) Just under two hour earlier I had caught the end of another eruption, but I have no idea if those were consecutive.

Behind and to the left/west of Alfaauga was a pool with water level just below the rim. During my wait, at one point the pool was full and pulsating. Then the next time I looked, it was back down. Not sure of the name or activity of this feature.

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Observations for 2023 September 08

Last night the intention was to go out and take a look around Hveravellir for an hour or so before leaving. But overnight, not only did it start to rain, but there were winds up to 50mph. And that weather did not go away by dawn. So other than seeing steam from Gjósandi from our room window, I didn't see anything out there.

But since we were passing by, we had to stop in to see Strokkur again. The weather was not much better, but at least we only had a few showers in the 45 minutes we were at Haukadalur. Strokkur was not very cooperative. We only saw one burst eruptions, and most of them were weak. Two were so bad that I'd consider them to almost be false starts, if they weren't followed by normal eruption intervals. Maybe the weather had an effect, but that paper I mentioned yesterday doesn't mention any such effects.

Strokkur Geyser, 2023 September 08 12:12:45. Video by H.Koenig.
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Observations for 2023 September 06

Got a late start to another busy day. Arrived at Haukadulur and parked in the northeast parking area, away from the tourist traps and bus parking areas. Almost immediately saw an eruption of Strokkur from our car. We got long series of eruptions, much on video.

A few years back I came across a recent paper published in Geophysical Research Letter titled "Eruption Interval Monitoring at Strokkur Geyser, Iceland". One of the most interesting pieces of information in it is that over the course of a year, their monitoring recorded 73466 eruptions, and that 23331 of those eruptions had more than one burst. There was even a single six burst eruption recorded. (Based on the statistical model, a seven burst eruption should also occur ever 12 years or so.) Also, the time between eruptions correlated to the number of bursts, but not to the number of bursts in a subsequent eruption.

We saw mostly one burst eruptions from Strokkur. There were a few with two bursts, with the second coming as soon as the first burst completed, to as much as 20 seconds later. (It's annoying when you stop the video only to miss the second burst becuase it took so long.) We only saw one three burst during the day, which based on the previously mentioned paper, was expected for the amount of time we were there.

Strokkur eruption. 2023-Sep-06:10:34, 2B. Video by H.Koenig.

The sizes of the eruptions varied considerably. Up close, some were just "tall." From a distance, I think we saw several that were over 30 meters high. On the otherhand, some were disappointingly small. In one case, I doubt the height was over 4 meters. Looked like a Grand Boop. When there were two bursts, one of the bursts could be tall, but not both, unless it was one of the cases when it was more like a second jet developing through the first jet.

Intervals ranged from two to seven minutes after a one burst eruption, but most of those were three minutes or less. If there was a second burst, then the interval lenghtened out to seven to ten minutes.

Geysir was quietly overflowing. What was surprising is that it is developing a shelf along the edge of the crater, and the overflow terrace has developed scallops well down the hillside.

Didn't see much else. Alfaauga was active, and we saw a few eruptions. The pool over the vent fluctuates until boiling starts on the side, which leads into an eruption. The durations were from over two minutes (it was in eruption) to a single burst. Didn't try to get any intervals, as it is located on the main path between the buildings and Strokkur, which is a crowded, busy area. (And Strokkur had our attention.)

Littli and Smiður were perpetually spouting to about a meter, and up at the top of the hill, Haìhver, while spouting continuously, did seem to vary from almost quiet to bursting well over a meter high.

We finally left after over five hours and 52 eruptions of Strokkur seen.

Arrived at Hveravellir about an hour and a half before it got dark, and after taking care of necessities like eating and checking in, had maybe half an hour of light to do a quick investigation. Nothing there erupts to much more than a meter, and the intervals are extremely short, but in that time saw close to two dozen eruptive vents and features, including at least three or four geysers. There was one feature erupting about every minute, draining after the eruption. The pool of Rauðihver would pulsate over the vent, then have a couple or so bursts. The tallest feature was a pool south from Öskurhóll, which was splashing almost two meters high at times. Should have plenty of time to investigate these further tomorrow.