Grimsvotn volcanic eruption 2011

This is an interesting perspective shot of the erupting volcano in Iceland, the Grimsvotn. Check with the Icelandic Meteorology Office for a lot more details on this one. If you're flying across the Atlantic, you might be wise to check on any flight delays or cancellations and news on why this might be the case. This eruption is not totally surprising given the other one that occurred in about the same region of Iceland about a year ago. The winds apparently aren't as bed as with the previous eruption. Forewarned is forearmed! - V

geothermal energy

Iceland has long been known for its volcanic and geothermal activities. I've had an interest in the country proper, including its history, since the 1960s. Founded in 874 A.D. the island country sits on both the North American and European tectonic plates with the major fault line running through the middle of the island from north to south.
Iceland gets its power from three sources: geothermal (24 percent), hydro electric (75.4 percent) and fossil fuels (0.1 percent). Fossil fuels are used by mostly vehicles and the fishing fleet.

The photo above shows the Blue Lagoon Thermal Spa which is situated on a lava field at Grindavik on the Reykjanes Peninsula 39 km (24 miles) from the capital of Reykjavik. The water from the thermal plant is the source of the blue water in the lagoon. The water is changed every 2 days and gets its blueish colour from the minerals in it.

Aside from Iceland there are a number of other areas where geothermal energy is in use or in use as a trial project. Northern California, Soultz (Alsace), France and Basel, Switzerland come to mind. I was watching a special program on tv last evening which dealt with the geothermal issue, especially that in northern California and in Soultz. You can learn more about the European Hot Dry Rock Project in Soultz by going here.

The project in Basel had to be stopped because of seismic activity. If you go to Google and search on geothermal energy, you will find the countries named where projects are underway. Surprisingly there seems to be no mention of Canada, even though British Columbia certainly has the potential of producing geothermal energy.

Then there is solar energy which will be the focus of another post. Geothermal and solar energy appear to be the way of the future with fossil fuels on the way out. You be the judge! - V
P.S. - All three photos concerning Iceland are courtesy of the Wikipedia Commons and posted according to the GNU Free Document License. Check out Google for more on Iceland plus other countries and projects mentioned here.