The Blue Lagoon (Iceland: BlÃÆ'¡a lÃÆ'³niÃÆ' Â ° ) geothermal spa is one of the most visited attractions in Iceland. The spa is located in a lava field in GrindavÃÆ'k on the Reykjanes Peninsula, southwest of Iceland in a favorable location for geothermal power, and supplied by water used at nearby Svartsengi geothermal power plant. Bla¡a lÃÆ'³niÃÆ' Â ° is located about 20 km (12 mi) from KeflavÃÆ'k International Airport and 39 km (24 mi) from the capital city of ReykjavÃÆ'k, about 21 minutes drive from the airport and 50 minutes drive from ReykjavÃÆ'k.
Video Blue Lagoon (geothermal spa)
Description
Warm waters are rich in minerals like silica and sulfur and bathing in the famous Blue Lagoon helps some people with skin disorders like psoriasis. The water temperature in the bath area and swimming in the lagoon averaged 37-39 ° C (99-102 ° F). Blue Lagoon also operates a research and development facility to help find a cure for other skin diseases using mineral-rich water.
The lagoon is an artificial lagoon fed by the water output of the nearest Svartsengi geothermal power plant and is updated every two days. This is the largest in the world. Superheated water is discharged from the ground near the lava flow and is used to run turbines that generate electricity. Once through the turbine, steam and hot water pass through the heat exchanger to provide heat for the city's water heating system. Then water is put into the lagoon for recreational users and medicines for bathing.
Iceland has a strict hygiene code and guests must bathe before enjoying the geothermal spa. Communal showers are divided by gender.
Children ages 8 and under are only allowed entry by using arm floaters, provided free of charge. This lagoon is not suitable for children under 2 years of age.
Blue Lagoon is wheelchair accessible with a walkway that extends to the water and a shower chair. There is also a private dressing room available for those with special needs, complete with roll-in showers.
This rich mineral content is provided by an underground geological layer and is pushed to the surface by hot water (about 1.2 MPa (170 psi) pressure and 240 ° C (464 Â ° F Â ° temperature) used by the plant. minerals, water can not be recycled and must be disposed of in the nearest landscape, a permeable lava field that varies in thickness from 50 cm (20 inches) to 1 m (3.3 ft) Silicate mineral is the main cause of colored milk color blue After the mineral has formed the deposit, the water reinfiltrates the soil, but the deposit makes it impermeable from time to time, hence the need for the plant to continue to dig a new pond in the field of nearby lava.
A small experimental facility is still visible near the plant, where engineers make decantation tests to evaluate the speed of mineral deposition, which is clearly a limiting factor both for profitability and sustainability of the plant. Therefore, the exploitation of geothermal energy at this location is not without environmental impact.
Blue Lagoon is used as the pit stop for the first leg of The Amazing Race 6 . Blue Lagoon is used for thermal spa scene in movie making Hostel: Part II . It was also shown in the Incubus Look Alive documentary, when the band visited Iceland, in the fifth cycle of Next Top Model UK used as a location for shooting as well as Keeping up with Kardashians.
Blue Lagoon is located close to the world's first renewable methanol plant, which uses carbon dioxide recycled carbon for methanol fuel processes.
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History
In 1976, ponds were formed at the site of the newly built geothermal power plant wastewater there. In 1981, people began bathing in it after the healing power was popularized. In 1992, the Blue Lagoon company was established, and the bathing facilities were opened to the public.
In recent years, some cosmetics companies have started marketing skincare products using mud that supposedly drawn from the Blue Lagoon, its effectiveness is debatable.
See also
- Balneotherapy
References
External links
- Blue Lagoon travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Official website
- Information from the Reykjavik tourism organization
- virtual panorama tour of Blue Lagoon
Source of the article : Wikipedia
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