DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.70301#0153
BOILING FOUNTAINS IN ICELAND. 133
feet. There was now a succession of jets, to the number of
eighteen, none of which appeared to me to exceed fifty feet
in height; they lasted about five minutes. Though the wind
blew strongly, yet the clouds of vapour were so dense, that
after the first two jets, I could only see the highest part of the
spray, and some of it that was occasionally thrown out side-
ways. After the last jet, which was the most furious, the
water suddenly left the basin, and sunk into a pipe in the
centre. The heat of the bottom of the basin made it dry,
and the wind blew aside the vapour almost immediately after
the spouting ceased. We lost no time in entering the basin
to examine the pipe, into which the water had sunk about ten
feet, and appeared to be rising slowly. The diameter of the
pipe, or rather pit, is ten feet, but near the top it widens to
sixteen feet. The perpendicular depth of the basin is three
feet; and that of the pipe somewhat more than sixty feet,
though there may be some inaccessible hollows which extend
to a much greater depth. After the water had descended into
the pipe, there was no appearance of any vapour issuing from
it, till it had reached the mouth, when a little was visible.
Even when the basin was full, the quantity of vapour was
far from being so great as might have been expected to pro-
ceed from so large a surface of hot water. At five minutes
before six o’clock it boiled a little, and continued to do so at
intervals. Having thrown a stone into the water while it was
perfectly still, we observed that an ebullition immediately took
place, and continued till the stone reached the bottom. All
the party having provided themselves with large stones, threw
them into the pipe, on a signal, when the water was still.
When the stones were thrown in, a violent ebullition instant-
ly followed; and this escape of steam, on agitation, may
serve to assist a theory of the phenomenon.
At twenty-nine minutes past six o’clock the pipe was full;
and the. water being within reach, its temperature was found
to be 209°. At twenty minutes before seven we looked into
feet. There was now a succession of jets, to the number of
eighteen, none of which appeared to me to exceed fifty feet
in height; they lasted about five minutes. Though the wind
blew strongly, yet the clouds of vapour were so dense, that
after the first two jets, I could only see the highest part of the
spray, and some of it that was occasionally thrown out side-
ways. After the last jet, which was the most furious, the
water suddenly left the basin, and sunk into a pipe in the
centre. The heat of the bottom of the basin made it dry,
and the wind blew aside the vapour almost immediately after
the spouting ceased. We lost no time in entering the basin
to examine the pipe, into which the water had sunk about ten
feet, and appeared to be rising slowly. The diameter of the
pipe, or rather pit, is ten feet, but near the top it widens to
sixteen feet. The perpendicular depth of the basin is three
feet; and that of the pipe somewhat more than sixty feet,
though there may be some inaccessible hollows which extend
to a much greater depth. After the water had descended into
the pipe, there was no appearance of any vapour issuing from
it, till it had reached the mouth, when a little was visible.
Even when the basin was full, the quantity of vapour was
far from being so great as might have been expected to pro-
ceed from so large a surface of hot water. At five minutes
before six o’clock it boiled a little, and continued to do so at
intervals. Having thrown a stone into the water while it was
perfectly still, we observed that an ebullition immediately took
place, and continued till the stone reached the bottom. All
the party having provided themselves with large stones, threw
them into the pipe, on a signal, when the water was still.
When the stones were thrown in, a violent ebullition instant-
ly followed; and this escape of steam, on agitation, may
serve to assist a theory of the phenomenon.
At twenty-nine minutes past six o’clock the pipe was full;
and the. water being within reach, its temperature was found
to be 209°. At twenty minutes before seven we looked into