| Title | Historical Aspects of Geothermal Utilization in Iceland |
|---|---|
| Authors | Ingvar Birgir Fridleifsson |
| Year | 1995 |
| Conference | World Geothermal Congress |
| Keywords | geothermal, history, legends, hot springs, Iceland |
| Abstract | Volcanoes and hot springs were probably the only natural phenomena completely new to the first settlers when they came to Iceland in the 9th century A.D., as these were unknown in northern Europe. The distribution of hot springs did not affect the location of farmhouses during the Age of Settlement, but the hot springs were gradually taken into use for washing and bathing. Numerous localities were named after the geothermal manifestations, most notably Reykjavik Smoky Bay. Geothermal springs first became of national interest in the year when the Icelanders decided by parliamentary decree to adopt Christianity, and the then-pagans refused to he baptized except in warm water. The oldest known geothermal pipeline (a covered duct made of stone slabs) dates back to the 13th century. It is proposed that pilgrims brought this technology from Italy. Space heating with geothermal water was, however, not started until 1908 in Iceland. For several centuries, sulphur mined in geothermal fields was one of the main export products of Iceland. Hot springs were used at one locality for extracting salt from sea water (average production of 53 tonneslyear) during |