The
Great Geysir or the
Stori-Geyser of Iceland is one of the amazing natural wonders of the small island. The name of the
Great Geysir in Iceland is responsible for the coinage of the term '
geyser' in the English dictionary. The word '
geyser' means
gusher,an appropriate name for the actual phenomenon.
The Great Geysir in Iceland is a strange occurrence. Hot water from the earth's crust gushes out in jets often accompanied by steam. The oldest account of the Great Geysir dates back to the 13th century. It is assumed that the eruption of Mt.Hekla along with strong earthquakes started the spouting of the Great Geysir in the thermal area of the Haukadalur valley.
The spouts initially went up to 60-80metres in height but the Great Geysir became dormant in 1916. No exact reason could be ascertained about its condition though it is assumed that objects thrown by tourists inside the geysir is responsible. Moreover tonnes of soap was dumped in the Geysir in order to increase its spouts. The strength of the jet however did not increase and the attempts failed. It suddenly spouted in 1935 but was silent again. Recently,however the Great Geysir started spouting with an average height of 30-40metres.
The spouts of the Great Geysir in Iceland is a famous tourist attraction. Every year the place is visited by hundreds of people to witness this strange phenomenon. The hot jets of water from the Great Geysir enthrall the spectators.
