Sulfur Springs, St. Lucia

A pleasant one and a half hour drive from Castries on the winding road past banana plantations and mango trees laden with mangoes via Anse La Raye gets one to the only drive-in volcano in the world. Past Soufriere, the drive takes us to the drive-in volcano crater.

From a short distance away, from the road itself, one can see steam coming out from the mountain . The distance was so great that taking a picture was futile.

boiling and steaming pits

 ticket counter

entrance ticket, mud bath not included in this one

The moment you get out of vehicle, the air smells of sulphur. St. Lucia has changed its governance between the English and the French many a times over the last century. It was under French control for quite some time so the French named the nearby city Soufriere, meaning "sulphur in the air".

The last volcanic eruption was in 1766 but it was more steam and ash and was considered  a minor one. The major one occurred 32-39,000 years back when it formed the Pitons and the sulfur springs. At that time the mountain was said to be higher than the Pitons! The eruption was massive and it formed a huge crater after it subsided. The underground geothermal activity is still there as it continuously vents steam and the water bubbles in the pits.

These sulphur springs are located in the Qualibou Caldera or Soufriere Volcanic Center (SVC) which is 5 X 3.5 Kms. It is surrounded by Morne Soufriere and Rabot Ridge.  After the magma is removed from its place, a cauldron like structure is formed. This is called the caldera.

In the center of this caldera are the sulphur springs which is an active geothermal region. So this place is almost the center of Qualibou caldera. The caldera is said to be 32 to 39, 000 years old (the time when the massive volcano erupted) and is 305 meters above sea level.

Past the souvenir shops, wooden steps lead to the closest spot for best viewing.

One could go right upto the volcano earlier but because of an accident in which a guide fell into one of the boiling pits sustaining second degree burns, the area has now been cordoned off.

Now one only gets to see these boiling and steaming pits from a distance.

As you descend the stairs, a small stream of water runs down the mountains. The water gets heated by the steam and is quite hot, around 77 degrees F.

water flowing in a stream

In 1786, during King Louis XVI's reign, this hot water was used for therapeutic use on the advice of doctor of the French army. The water came from Diamond estate, another hot spring in the area.
But later in 1900, a businessman, Charles Gabriel constructed these hot water tubs in the sulphur springs. These baths were called Ventine Baths. People came to soak in hot water and take advantage of the medicinal water.

 remains of bathing tubs

The walls have turned orange-brown due to the massive amount of iron oxide in the water. The water coming out of the spout was still quite hot. I am sure the hot water tubs must have been very relaxing.

cashew tree very closing to the viewing area

cashew laden tree

Very close to the cashew tree is the best place to see the water bubbling in pits and steam coming out of vents. The land is so hot that nothing grows or can live there. The area of springs is 100 X 250 meters.

The phenomenon of spewing hot steam and boiling pits occurs all the time and throughout the year. 

There are rocks that are being heated by the underlying magma. There are many geographical faults in the mountain surrounding the spring. When the rainwater seeping through them comes in contact with these hot rocks, it forms steam. This steam is released  from openings in the area.

But from where does the sulfur come? The mountain has huge deposits of sulfur. When the water from above flows down, it carries the sulfur along with it. Moreover there are underground deposits of sulfur as well. The water combines with sulfur and is released as Hydrogen Sulfide (H2S)

The color of bubbling black water is due to the presence hydrogen sulphide. At this time, the temperature of water is between 97- 100 degree Celsius.

road seen on right hand side

hot water coming from the springs

The hot water laden with sulphur and iron finds its way to the hot mud bath area. In 2004, the facility was introduced for tourists in which they first put the medicinal pack, let it dry and then soak themselves in the rejuvenating hot water which collects in a pool.

entrance to the mud baths

changing room

brackish looking water!

The soft black mud is a mixture of iron sulfide, sulphur and gypsum. It is a soft pack which the guide gets in a bucket from the source. No one is permitted to go further into the prohibited area. Because of presence of iron sulfide, there are orange-brown patches.

waiting for the pack to dry

A soak in hot water to wash off the mud

Tapping geothermal energy is one of the aims and there have been many attempts to do that for the past 70 years. Most of the Caribbean countries rely on oil for their power production. The fuel is imported which obviously is very expensive.

The drilling at places revealed the underground temperature of 455 degrees F and this could be enough to produce substantial energy. Lack of adequate finances and geophysical problems have made it impossible till now.  Let us hope that the St.Lucia is able to tap the geothermal energy and not let it all go waste.

Is there a danger of another volcanic eruption?
Well, the danger is the same as any other place lying above a volcanic belt. There are many countries throughout the world which might be sitting on such a spot. The fact that the underground energy is released continuously in the form of steam or boiling water reduces the threat a little. Saint Augustin campus in the University of West Indies in Trinidad continuously monitors the seismological activities of the Caribbean countries.