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3a Read
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A Look at the pictures and discuss.
your answers.
• What do you know about geysers? B Read the text quickly and check
http://www.alexandraguglielmiblog.com/travel/in-really-hot-water/
Alexandra's Blog

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IN REALLY HOT WATER!
17 July
I’m finally in Iceland! I woke up this morning to a warm breakfast of Icelandic porridge,
and then I was ready to go out and explore. As you know, Iceland is a special place for
geology students like me. To begin with, it has a really unique landscape. You find both
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active and inactive volcanoes here, but also a very rare feature that you can only see in
five other countries: geysers! Geysers are basically channels of water that are heated
beneath the earth’s surface. Then they erupt, shooting super hot water high up into the
air in what we call a geyser spout. You might not believe it, but I saw one for the first
time today!
Alexandra Guglielmi is
a student of geology and
an enthusiastic blogger

GALLERY

To see geysers, I had to go to the geyser field, an area in the south of the country. The
field was full of small shallow pools of boiling water that gave off a strong, eye-watering
smell. There were signs that pointed out the three main geysers, including the most
famous of all, Great Geysir. While it isn’t the world’s greatest geyser by size, Geysir was
the first one ever to be recorded – and I was really looking forward to seeing it.
In the end, it was little more than a small bowl of water, with a hole in the centre that
disappeared down into the earth. Of course, Geysir is considered almost inactive these
days, but I was still hoping for something a little more impressive! I had to be careful
of the heat, but I was able to get close enough to measure the temperature and collect
the water samples that I needed for my research. After that, I decided to go and have a
look at one of the other geysers in the field, Strokkur. This geyser is supposed to be very
active; they say it produces a water spout almost every ten minutes! However, just as I
started to move in that direction, I heard a strange sound.
When I looked behind me, Geysir’s water seemed to be moving. As I watched, it began
to boil… then it shot up into the air with a loud noise. I couldn’t say how high it went, but
Geysir is known for large eruptions, often around 60 m high and sometimes reaching
over 100. Eventually, the water fell back into the pool, leaving clouds of steam in the air.
Yes, that’s right – I finally saw a geyser from up close, but I also observed a really rare
event. The eruption I saw was Geysir’s first (and it could be its only) one this year. Can
you believe it? The timing was perfect!
Before I leave, I intend to try one more thing. I’m sure you’re all familiar with the
Northern Lights – the strange colours that brighten the sky near the North Pole. Well, > RECENT POSTS
they’re a common sight here in Iceland in the winter months, and I’m planning to go · Guide to Iceland
outside the city tomorrow, away from any light pollution, and see if my luck continues. · National Days in Iceland
My chances of seeing them in July might be small, but you never know! Right?
· 9 Days in Iceland
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