At a geothermal area in Iceland (Hverdalur in the SW) I stood for
nearly hour watching a "mud volcano" in action. Most of this time I was
enveloped in a cloud of steam. Suddenly I began to experience sharp,but
not intense, pains in the front of my head. Ten minutes after leaving the
steam cloud, the pain stopped. What gas could have caused this?
Dolph
Hi Dolph,
Now that is a question we haven't had before! The only thing I can think
of is that sulfur dioxide gas was combining with water vapor to form
sulfuric acid, which was giving you a chemical burn. If you were not
wearing any eye protection I expect your eyes were burning as well, and
without a gas mask your lungs as well? Other than that I really don't
know what could have been going on.
Sincerely,
Scott Rowland
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