Víðgelmir is a
lava tube situated in Western Iceland in the
Hallmundarhraun lava field, ca. 2 km. Southeast from
Fljótstunga farm in
Hvítársíða,
Borgarfjörður.
The roof of the lava tube has collapsed, creating two large openings
near its north end which are the only known entrances. Viðgelmir is
1585m long, the largest part of the cave passage is 15.8m high and 16.5m
wide making it by far the largest of its kind in Iceland. The cave has a
wide entrance but narrows down in some places. An iron gate was
installed at the first constriction in 1994 to preserve the delicate
lava formations or
speleothems which haven’t already been destroyed. Evidence of human habitation, probably dating to the
Viking age, has been discovered in the cave and is preserved in the
National Museum of Iceland.
Long stretches of the cave floor are very rough and shouldn’t be
navigated without a guide. Access and guided tours are provided at
nearby Fljótstunga.
Lava tube caves are formed when a low-viscosity lava flow develops a
continuous and hard crust which thickens and forms a roof above the
molten lava stream. When the eruption subsides, the still molten lava
moving beneath the crust will continue to drain downhill, leaving an
open lava tube cave. Many other lava tube caves have been discovered in
Hallmundarhraun (formed around 900 AD), most notable
Surtshellir and
Stefánshellir.(*)
This recording was made 30th of June 2012, close to the entrance, where
ice from last winter was still melting. Water drops from the cave roof
are falling into differenet places on the floor, in holes in the ice and
on stones on rough surfaced floor.
Deeper in the cave there is no dripping water so it is completely quiet.
For most people it could be an interesting experience. During the
summer people can have guided tour in Viðgelmir, j
ust contact Fljótstunga farm.
Download mp3 file. (192kbps / 28,1Mb)
See more and listen at:
www.fieldrecording.net
Recorder. Sound Devices 788
Mic: Rode NT1a (NOS)
Pic: Canon 30D. See more
pictures at Google. My camera did not work perfectly in the cave, but anyway here is
my picture
(*) Information about the cave is copied from Wikipedia.
