Icelandic Geyser

Last week I promised regular posts from Iceland on the wonder of water, but unfortunately the wonders of technology failed me.

Now that I’m back on-line, here’s a glimpse of one of Iceland’s most famous landmarks – a hot-water spring in the town of Geysir. That name comes from the Icelandic word for ‘gush’ – and gives its name to all geysers on earth.

Geysers occur when geo-thermally heated water becomes trapped in narrow fissures deep in the earth. Cool surface water flows down on top of this hot water and pressurizes it. The super-heated steam builds to the bursting point and then gushes upward, blasting out whatever volume of water lies above it.

Old Faithful in Yellowstone Park erupts every 90 minutes. Stokkur in Iceland erupts 12-15 times every hour!

So on Friday morning we stood there – perhaps forty visitors from a dozen nations, fascinated by this phenomenon of nature. We stood in near-silence like worshippers, eagerly awaiting the next dramatic eruption. Waiting builds the anticipation. Nothing can speed up the process; laws of nature set the schedule.

Then, a brief swelling of the water in the four-meter-wide pool … a sudden fffwooooosh! – and a plume of white water shoots upwards – perhaps 30 meters into the air.

Instantly cameras clicked and silent watchers became celebrants with a simultaneous cheer. A momentary community of joy was born as strangers exchanged chatter with strangers. And then the waiting began again.

And my heart echoed the words of David, in Psalm 57:9-11

I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; for great is your love, reaching to the heavens;
Your faithfulness reaches to the skies.
Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.