From the Hveradalir slope yesterday.
mbl.is/Eggert Jóhannesson
Increased visible steam has been observed along the national highway through Hveradalir.
Geophysicist Ari Trausti Guðmundsson says that steam vents often form at relatively shallow depths in areas of geothermal activity and near hot springs.
“All of a sudden”
Guðmundsson explains that such vents can sometimes disappear or shift location, as has been seen in Svartsengi and Hengill.
“The best example is in Hverahlíð, south of the road leading up to Hellisheiði, where drilling was carried out for the Hellisheiði Power Plant. Suddenly, steam began rising from the hillside somewhat farther east,” he says.
However, whether the steam is visible depends on the weather, particularly humidity and temperature.
Monitoring the area
According to Orkuveita Reykjavíkur (Reykjavík Energy), experts are monitoring the area closely.
Thermal imaging surveys have also been conducted — primarily to observe long-term changes in geothermal activity.