Hveragerði
Encyclopedia
Hveragerði is a town and municipality in the south of Iceland
located 45 km to the east of Reykjavík
on Iceland's main ringroad, Route 1
.
The river Varmá runs through the town. The population was 2,316 on 1 January 2011.
central volcano
, and is geothermally active and experiences very frequent (usually minor) earthquake
s. The town is known for its greenhouse
s, which are heated by hot water from volcanic hot springs
. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile
micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.(C.Michael Hogan. 2010) An infrequently erupting geyser
, Grýla
is at the entrance of the Ölfusdalur valley. The borehole Leppalúði
on the way to the Gufudalur valley erupts continuously, reaching a height of 10-12 meters. Close to the church is a hot spring
called Sandhólshver, formed during the violent South Iceland earthquake of 1896. A fenced-off geothermal area in the town has numerous hot springs
and fumaroles.
To the south of Hveragerði, there is the small port of Þorlákshöfn
, point of departure for the ferry to the Westman Islands.
, who play in Iceland's third tier.
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
located 45 km to the east of Reykjavík
Reykjavík
Reykjavík is the capital and largest city in Iceland.Its latitude at 64°08' N makes it the world's northernmost capital of a sovereign state. It is located in southwestern Iceland, on the southern shore of Faxaflói Bay...
on Iceland's main ringroad, Route 1
Route 1 (Iceland)
Route 1 or the Ring Road is a main road in Iceland that runs around the island and connects all habitable parts of the country . The total length of the road is ....
.
The river Varmá runs through the town. The population was 2,316 on 1 January 2011.
Overview
The surrounding area is part of the HengillHengill
The Hengill central volcano is situated in the southwest of Iceland, to the south of Þingvellir. The volcano covers an area of about 100 km²....
central volcano
Volcano
2. Bedrock3. Conduit 4. Base5. Sill6. Dike7. Layers of ash emitted by the volcano8. Flank| 9. Layers of lava emitted by the volcano10. Throat11. Parasitic cone12. Lava flow13. Vent14. Crater15...
, and is geothermally active and experiences very frequent (usually minor) earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
s. The town is known for its greenhouse
Greenhouse
A greenhouse is a building in which plants are grown. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings...
s, which are heated by hot water from volcanic hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
. These springs are the site of occurrence of certain extremophile
Extremophile
An extremophile is an organism that thrives in physically or geochemically extreme conditions that are detrimental to most life on Earth. In contrast, organisms that live in more moderate environments may be termed mesophiles or neutrophiles...
micro-organisms, that are capable of surviving in extremely hot environments.(C.Michael Hogan. 2010) An infrequently erupting geyser
Geyser
A geyser is a spring characterized by intermittent discharge of water ejected turbulently and accompanied by a vapour phase . The word geyser comes from Geysir, the name of an erupting spring at Haukadalur, Iceland; that name, in turn, comes from the Icelandic verb geysa, "to gush", the verb...
, Grýla
Grýla
Grýla is, in Icelandic mythology, a horrifying monster and an giantess living in the mountains of Iceland. She is said to come from the mountains at Christmas in search of naughty children....
is at the entrance of the Ölfusdalur valley. The borehole Leppalúði
Grýla
Grýla is, in Icelandic mythology, a horrifying monster and an giantess living in the mountains of Iceland. She is said to come from the mountains at Christmas in search of naughty children....
on the way to the Gufudalur valley erupts continuously, reaching a height of 10-12 meters. Close to the church is a hot spring
Hot spring
A hot spring is a spring that is produced by the emergence of geothermally heated groundwater from the Earth's crust. There are geothermal hot springs in many locations all over the crust of the earth.-Definitions:...
called Sandhólshver, formed during the violent South Iceland earthquake of 1896. A fenced-off geothermal area in the town has numerous hot springs
Hot Springs
Hot Springs may refer to:* Hot Springs, Arkansas** Hot Springs National Park, Arkansas*Hot Springs, California**Hot Springs, Lassen County, California**Hot Springs, Modoc County, California**Hot Springs, Placer County, California...
and fumaroles.
To the south of Hveragerði, there is the small port of Þorlákshöfn
Þorlákshöfn
Þorlákshöfn is a town on the southern coast of Iceland in the Municipality called Ölfus.The town name is named after Þorláki Helga who was bishop at Skálholt...
, point of departure for the ferry to the Westman Islands.
Sports
The local football club is HamarKnattspyrnudeild Hamars
Knattspyrnudeild Hamars is an Icelandic football club from the town of Hveragerði located just south-east of the capital Reykjavík.-External links:*...
, who play in Iceland's third tier.
External links
- http://www.hveragerdi.is (official website of the community) (in IcelandicIcelandic languageIcelandic is a North Germanic language, the main language of Iceland. Its closest relative is Faroese.Icelandic is an Indo-European language belonging to the North Germanic or Nordic branch of the Germanic languages. Historically, it was the westernmost of the Indo-European languages prior to the...
) - http://www.south.is/hveragerdi.html (official website)
- http://www.isafold.de/reykjavegur01/img_hver.htm (Photo Hengill)
- http://www.marketa-tim.net (Photos and Panoramas from Hveragerdi)