GEOTHERMAL STAMPS OF ICELAND

• Main Author: John W. Lund
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Eldfell; Heimaey; Laki; Surtsey; Vestmannaeyjar; Hekla; Iceland
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.536.451; http://geoheat.oit.edu/bulletin/bull17-4/art7.pdf

Iceland, a leader in the use of geothermal energy, is also a leader in issuing stamps depicting various geothermal manifestations such as geysers, volcanic eruptions and methods of utilizing the energy. Some of the earlier issues were described and shown in Vol. 5, No. 1 (Lund, 1980). In my recent visit to Iceland as the visiting lecturer for the UNU geothermal program, I was able to collect some of the more current issues. A review of the older issues and most of the new ones are described and shown below. In historical times, since AD 850-900, more than 250 volcanic eruptions have occurred in Iceland--an average of one every four years! Four volcanic events have had a major impact on Iceland, and are thus, reflected in many of their stamps: (1) Hekla, has erupted 20 times since Iceland was settled. The 1947 eruption, lasting 13 months, produced almost 800 million m3 of lava and 210 million m3 of tephra and sent falling ash as far away as Finland. (2) The Laki eruptions (Skaftareldur episode) in 1783 produced lava flows of 800 m3 per second and resulted in 14 to 15 km3 of volume covering almost 600 km2. The gas and acid rain and the resulting pollution killed 50 % of the domestic animals and 20 % of the population in Moduhardindi (Haze Famine). (3) Surtsey Island, of the southwest coast, was first formed in 1963 from an underwater eruption along the mid-Atlantic spreading ridge. By 1967, an island of 2.7 km2 had been formed. It is used for biological and geological research. (4) Heimaey, another one of the Westmann Islands (Vestmannaeyjar), was partially engulfed by an eruption from Eldfell volcano in 1973. Nearly 200 houses were burned by lava; however, the lava flow was stopped from closing the harbor by spraying it with seawater