Is the Blue Lagoon in a volcano?

The Reykjanes peninsula is a highly active volcanic area. Hence the Svartsengi geothermal plant where the Blue Lagoon gets it's energy and hot water from, and the hot springs you find in many places in the region. It is important though to understand what highly active means in geological terms.



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The Blue Lagoon was created accidentally by the condense discharge from the geothermal power plant in Svartsengi. The water was expected to disappear into the permeable lava field, but sedimentation gradually made the coarse lava field watertight, and the lagoon continued expanding.

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The Iceland Blue Lagoon is not a natural spring. While Iceland is a country brimming with natural hot springs, the Blue Lagoon actually isn't one of them. The land is natural, as is the lava that shapes the pool, but the hot water is actually the result of runoff from the geothermal power plant next door.

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The water you find in Iceland's Blue Lagoon is no ordinary water. As soon as you come close to the geothermally active area, you will see, feel, and even smell that there is something unique here. Luckily, this isn't like many other geothermal pools in Iceland!

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Silica—composed of silicon and oxygen—is a constituent compound of lava and merges with geothermal seawater in volcanic aquifers deep underground. When the superheated water reaches the surface and cools, silica molecules are set free, becoming the iconic white mud that is one of Blue Lagoon's hallmarks.

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As you walk and swim around the lagoon, you'll notice that the bottom of the pool feels squishy. Don't freak out—that's the same silica mud you'll find in the face mask hut. Think of it as a healing experience for your feet.

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Blue Lagoon – History It is not a natural hot spring – in fact, the water within is wastewater from the power plant! While at first glance this may put you off, it should be noted that the water in the Blue Lagoon is completely safe and contains only natural minerals.

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The water in the Blue Lagoon is heated to around 37-40 degrees Celsius (98-104 F). Due to fluctuations in weather conditions, the precise temperature may change month to month, however you can expect pleasantly warm waters year-round. The sensation is similar to stepping into a hot bath.

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These eruptions culminated 7,700 years ago in the largest explosive eruption in the Cascades during the past 1 million years, and one of the Earth's largest eruptions in the past 12,000 years (Holocene Epoch). Mount Mazama's climactic eruption produced the caldera where Crater Lake exists today.

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Catching a glimpse of the milky-blue water against the black-rock lava fields, it may not come as a complete surprise that the Blue Lagoon is man-made. Runoff water from the nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant trickles into the lava fields and a blanket of mineral-rich mud lines the foundations of the Blue Lagoon.

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The Blue Lagoon offers a variety of day visit, overnight accommodation and dining options.

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