I want to introduce you to Seltun, one of Iceland’s extreme geothermal areas.
If you ask anyone who’s been to Iceland why they like it so much, somewhere in their answer they'll talk about its bizarre landscape. Known as the ‘land of fire and ice’ it’s guaranteed you’re never going to get bored by looking at the same thing for too long in a country that’s small, and yet boasts an incredibly diverse and powerful landscape.
Situated on the Reykjane peninsula of Iceland, only 40 minutes drive from Reykjavik you'll find Seltun, a high geothermal area that consists of bubbling mud pots, thermal springs and fumaroles.
These unique elements to Seltun can be attributed to its location falling in the middle of the fissure zone on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge which traverses Iceland diagonally from the south-west to the north-east of the island.
As you walk towards Seltun, the first thing that strikes you is it’s lunar and Mars-like appearance. A land shrouded with clouds of water vapour with colours of red, orange, golden and dark silver pools of mud begin to emerge from the earth’s surface.
But don’t take my word for it, here’s a quote from NASA about Mars: “Its surface is rocky, with canyons, volcanoes and craters all over it. Red dust covers most of its surface. Mars has clouds and wind, just as Earth does. Sometimes the wind blows the red dust into a dust storm.”
Author : Shing Lin Yoong
Website: www.theculturemap.com
