15 193 



The hot springs at KerliugarfjoU. 



The springs at Kerlingarfjöll are, in spite of their great number, homogeneous 

 pools, with a strong odour of sulphuretted hydrogen, and with turbid water, which 

 is kept continually in agitation, as if boiling, on account of ils high temperature 

 and the active exhalation of gases. 



On account of the high altitude of the place (940 m. and more), all the ravines 

 and hollows were filled with snow whilst we were at Kerlingarfjöll, except where 

 the warmth of the springs had melted the snow. The springs are engaged in a con- 

 tinual struggle for the mastery with the snow, and in this way the most remarkable 

 snow-figures are formed. The snow cannot remain in the immediate neighbourhood 

 of the springs, not being able to resist the warmth emitted by them, but a little 

 farther away we saw in several places large steep walls of snow, over 10 m. high. 



During the winter, when the cold is at its greatest, these snow walls can 

 advance nearer to the springs and perhaps embrace them entirely; but by the 

 summer the heat from the springs has obtained the upper hand, and the snow 

 has to withdraw. 



Under these conditions, the snow does not so readily melt on the surface as 

 near the earth, which receives heat from the springs, and the masses of snow thus 

 undermined break off (Plate V), and large pieces of snow are precipitated towards 

 the springs. We saw several steep, isolated masses of snow, from 6 to 10 m. high, 

 which had in this way become detached from the rest, and which, on account of 

 the sloping ground, glided slowly down towards the springs. At other places, we 

 saw the misty vapours rise from the middle of a large expanse of snow. These 

 vapours evidently came from smaller isolated hot springs, which had not yet suc- 

 ceeded in getting rid of their covering of snow, and had therefore to let a small 

 hole suffice as an outlet for the vapours up through the snow. 



The hot springs which we visited at Kerlingarfjöll are all to be found in a 

 large valley, almost in the shape of a right angle, the sides of which are intersected 

 by a great number of smaller valleys or ravines. The whole of the spring district, 

 which is called by the one name Hueradalir, falls naturally into three divisions, 

 viz. Vestur-Hucradalir (Plate V), to the west, nearest to the outlet of the valley, 

 Mià-Hveradalir (Plate VI), the middle part of the valley, where it turns to the east, 

 and Austur-Hveradalir, farthest in the valley, towards the east. 



From Veslur-Hueradalir one can see some of the springs in Miö-Hveradalir, 

 but on account of the bend in the valley toward the east, MiiVHveradalir seems 

 to be the end of the valley. Not one of the springs in Austur-Hveradalir can be 

 seen until one has come to Miô-Hveradalir, and the majority of them are not to 

 be seen before one is quite close to them. 



The springs in Hveradalir are mostly found in the sides and at the bottom 

 of the small ravines. An excei)tion is found in a very large spring situated high up 



