Fumarole, Hverir Geothermal Area, Iceland Postcard

"Fumarole, Hverir Geothermal Area, Iceland" by Catherine Sherman. A fumarole emits sulfurous steam in the barren geothermal landscape of Hverir near Myvatn, northern Iceland. The overcast sky adds to the desolate ambiance of the rocky scene. Hverir (short for Hverir Geothermal Area) is also known as Hverarönd and is a very active and one of the largest geothermal areas in Iceland, located just east of Námaskarð, at the foot of Mt. Námafjall, a volcano. Hverir contains many smoking fumaroles and boiling mud pots, surrounded by sulphur crystals of many different colours. This sulphur gives the area an overwhelming smell of egg. A fumarole (or fumerole) is a vent in the surface of the Earth or another rocky planet from which hot volcanic gases and vapours are emitted, without any accompanying liquids or solids. Fumaroles are characteristic of the late stages of volcanic activity, but fumarole activity can also precede a volcanic eruption and has been used for eruption prediction. Most fumaroles die down within a few days or weeks of the end of an eruption, but a few are persistent, lasting for decades or longer. An area containing fumaroles is known as a fumarole field.