The Great Geysir, Iceland’s most famous hot spring, which has given the name to geysers all over the world, erupted yesterday. This rare event was captured on camera.

Halldóra Eldon, who works at Hótel Geysir was at work when she noticed an unusual amount of steam rising from Geysir. “It was just by chance that I was looking out of the window. I decided to walk outside and it started erupting.”

She says it’s a very unusual sight although staff of the hotel saw the geyser erupt twice last summer. “I’ve worked here for two years and I never saw this happening before.”

Earthquakes have been shown to revive the activity of Geysir and records from 1630 show that it erupted violently many times that year. Until 1896 however the hot spring was almost dormant before an earthquake that year caused eruptions to begin again, several times a day.

In 1935 a man-made channel was dug through the rim which caused a revival in activity, but gradually the channel became clogged with silica making eruptions once again rare. In 1981 the channel was cleared and eruptions were simulated on special occasions by the additon of soaps, something later discouraged because of environmental concerns.

An earthquake in the year 2000 revived the geyser again and an eruption took place for two days straight, reaching 122 metres in height. In the last decade, eruptions have decreased considerably and it is now considered almost inactive.