Europe
Iceland
Bláskógabyggð
Geyser
Strokkur
Name:Strokkur
First written mention:1789
Dormant period:from around 1900
Reactivation:1963
Highest recorded eruption:about 60 meters (1815)
Average eruption height today:usually between 15 and 20 meters
Maximum eruption height today:about 30 meters
Eruption frequency:about 100 times per day (every 5 to 10 minutes)
A tall column of water erupts from the Strokkur geyser in Iceland.

12 Fascinating Facts about Strokkur

  1. Location: Strokkur is located in the geothermally active Haukadalur Valley in southern Iceland. It is part of the Golden Circle, a popular sightseeing route that connects some of the country’s most remarkable natural wonders. Together with the Gullfoss waterfall and Þingvellir National Park, Strokkur ranks among the most famous attractions on this route and offers visitors a fascinating glimpse into Iceland’s unique landscape.
  2. Significance: Strokkur is known as one of the most reliable geysers in the world. Every few minutes, it shoots water columns up to 30 meters high into the air. This remarkable regularity has made it the main attraction of the Haukadalur Valley and a symbol of Iceland’s powerful geothermal activity.
  3. Famous Brother: Just a few meters south of Strokkur lies the Great Geysir, once the most famous natural wonder in Iceland. It was first mentioned in the 13th century and astonished people for centuries with its powerful eruptions. In the 19th century, its water jets reached heights of up to 80 meters, earning it fame far beyond Iceland’s borders. Its activity declined significantly during the 20th century. For a time, eruptions were even triggered artificially using soap until this practice was banned in the early 1980s. After an earthquake in 2000, it erupted once more, reaching a record height of 122 meters, and a smaller quake in 2003 caused its last known eruption. Since then, the Great Geysir has been nearly dormant. It gave its name to all geysers around the world, as the word “geyser” comes from the Old Norse geysa, meaning “to gush.”
  4. Formation History: Strokkur first became active in 1789 after an earthquake cleared its vent of mud and rock. From that moment on, it regularly sent an impressive column of water into the air and soon became famous alongside the Great Geysir.
  5. Dormant Phase: At the beginning of the 20th century, mineral deposits blocked Strokkur’s vent, causing it to fall almost completely silent. For several decades, it attracted little attention while most visitors focused on the Great Geysir.
  6. Revival: In 1963, workers cleared the blocked vent and restored Strokkur to full activity. Since then, it has been one of the most reliable geysers in the world, erupting regularly every few minutes and captivating visitors with its powerful display.
  7. How It Works: Strokkur erupts through a naturally formed system of underground channels that reach as deep as eight kilometers below the surface. In these depths, groundwater is heated by volcanic rock with temperatures exceeding 700 degrees Celsius. The immense heat and pressure create a rising steam bubble that causes the water at the surface to swell into a bright blue dome. When the bubble bursts, the pressure drops instantly and the superheated water shoots high into the air in a spectacular eruption.
  8. Extremely Hot Water: The water in Strokkur originates from the nearby Langjökull glacier. Meltwater seeps through cracks deep into the ground, where it becomes superheated before returning to the surface as a powerful jet. At the surface, the water reaches temperatures of up to 95 degrees Celsius, and at greater depths it can range between 110 and 130 degrees. Even tiny splashes can cause serious burns, which is why visitors must keep a safe distance.
  9. Multiple Eruptions: At times, Strokkur erupts more than once in quick succession. After the first eruption, enough steam and superheated water often remain in the vent to fuel one or two additional fountains.
  10. Historic Sale: In 1894, both the Great Geysir and Strokkur were sold to an Irishman named James Craig for only 3,000 Icelandic krónur. Later, the Icelander Sigurður Jónasson repurchased the land, kept it for several decades, and donated it to the Icelandic state in 1935. Since then, the Geysir area has been under public protection and remains freely accessible to everyone.
  11. Controversial Action: In 2015, the Danish artist Marco Evaristti poured five liters of red food coloring into Strokkur. For a short moment, the fountain glowed in a bright pink hue. The incident caused widespread outrage across Iceland, yet Evaristti was later acquitted because no permanent damage to the geyser could be proven.
  12. Name Origin: In Icelandic, Strokkur means “churn.” In earlier times, Icelandic farmers made butter using wooden barrels in which the mixture bubbled and splashed as they moved the plunger up and down. The sight of the geyser’s rhythmic motion reminded people of this process and inspired its name.
  • A tall column of water erupts from the Strokkur geyser in Iceland.
  • Iceland’s Strokkur geyser swells into a water dome just before erupting.
  • A tall column of water erupts from Strokkur geyser in Iceland.
  • The Strokkur geyser in Iceland shoots a tall column of water into the air.
  • Strokkur in Iceland’s Haukadalur Valley blasts a tall jet of water and steam upward.
  • Strokkur erupts in Iceland’s Haukadalur Valley on the Golden Circle route.