194 16 



on the large gravel ridge which separates Austur-Hveradalir from Miö-Hveradalir. 

 As this spring is visible from Miô-Hveradalir, il can serve as a guide to anyone 

 seeking the hot springs in Austur-Hveradalir. 



The time we had for our stay at the hot springs being very limited, and a 

 great amount of time being spent in collecting specimens of the gases, we had to 

 content ourselves with a rapid examination of the remaining springs. We were 

 able, however, to substantiate that the springs resemble each other strongly. We 

 did not see any mud springs or mud volcanoes here, with thick mud, of which there 

 are so many examples at Myvaln, Hengill and Krisiwik; where one would expect 

 to lind such mud springs, the water was only muddy on account of the deposit 

 of small particles. The great rainfall at Kerlingarfjöll has the effect of adding so 

 much water to the springs, that the small particles produced by the action of the 

 springs, can be continually conveyed away by the water. The streams, which are 

 found in the small ravines, and which eventually unite into a river, Askardsd, 

 which runs through the main valley, are greyish-white from the particles which 

 the water carries from the springs. Askarösä bears away proportionally more sus- 

 pended substances than the other glacier rivers. 



The hot springs in Vestur-Hveradalir and Miö-Hveradalir have, on the whole, 

 a greater volume of water than the springs in Austur-Hveradalir, which is natur- 

 ally to be attributed to the higher altitude of the latter. In Austur-Hveradalir 

 there are even a considerable number of solfataras with sulphur deposits, but as 

 JoHNSTRUP has shown, the deposit of sulphur in solfataras only takes place when 

 the soil is sufficiently dry and porous to permit the mixture of the atmosphere 

 with the gases of the springs, under the surface of the earth. 



With regard to the individual springs, 1 will content myself with describing 

 one spring in Austur-Hveradalir, which is distinguished from all the other springs 

 we saw in this place, by its activity and outward appearance. This spring, which 

 is situated close to the stream running through the main valley, is a steam spring 

 of the same kind as Öskiirholl^ at Hveravellir, only it is still more powerful. 

 Vapour and gases are emitted with indescribable force through a little hole in the 

 rocky ground, and the emissions of vapour are accompanied by a deafening noise. 

 When one considers that a large extent of the valley around the actual spring is 

 filled with mist, which comes mostly from the vapour of this spring, one can 

 form some slight idea of the tremendous amount of steam emitted by the spring. 

 We called this spring Öskrandi (the Bellower). (Plate Vll, a.) 



The specimens of gases collected at Kerlingarfjöll were as follows : Kerlinqar- 

 fjöll No. 1 and 2, from the same ravine in Vestur-Hveradalir, to the west of Askarôsâ, 

 No. 1 nearer to Askarôsâ, No. 2 higher up in the ravine. Kerlingarfjöll No. 3 comes 

 from a large spring reservoir in Miô-Hveradalir. Kerlingarfjöll No. A is from a little 

 spring in Austur-Hveradalir, near Öskrandi. Altitudes: Vestur-Hveradalir 945 m.; 

 Miö-Hveradalir 980 m.; and Öskrandi lüüU m. 



