Geysir – The World’s Original

Along the Mid-Atlantic Ridge just northeast of Þingvellir, is the Haukadalur valley: an especially restless area of geothermal activity. In addition to many other bubbling pools of rotten-smelling sulfur, Haukadalur is home to Geysir. This is the original; the one which gave its name to the word we use for all others.

Now, geologically speaking, Geysir probably isn’t the world’s “original” geyser, but it was the first encountered by Europeans. The first to be named, the first to enter the lexi...