From Iceland — Puzzling Acts of Vandalism in Crater and Lava Cave - UPDATED

Puzzling Acts of Vandalism in Crater and Lava Cave – UPDATED

Published May 2, 2013

Striking acts of vandalism have been wrought in two natural preserves in the Mývatn area of north Iceland, as the words “CAVE” and “CRATER” were painted in Grjótagjá lava cave and Hverfjall crater, RÚV reports.    
The letters in Grótagjá are 90 centimetres in length and those in the nearby Hverfjall crater measure up to 17 metres. It is believed that some kind of high pressure pump and several litres of paint were used in the act, which was first discovered last weekend.
Police in Húsavík have expressed amazement over the deed, as it appears to have required a lot of paint, physical effort and several hours to complete. The mystery is further compounded by the fact that the work was executed in a relatively high traffic tourist area without anyone noticing.

CLARIFICATIONRÚV‘s initial report suggested that the word “CRATER” appeared in both the cave and the crater, but it has since come to light that “CAVE” was written in the cave and “CRATER” in the crater, confirming the perpetrators’ awareness of the difference between the two geological formations.  

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