volcano

Iceland’s rootless volcanoes

Keri McNamara February 7, 2019

Rootless cones in Lake Mývatn, NE Iceland. These cones were formed when the Younger Laxá Lava inundated the lake approx. 2000 years ago. In total, there are over 1400 rootless cones around Mývatn, ranging in size from <2 m crater. Credit: Frances Boreham

Picture a volcano, like the one you learned about in primary school. Can you see it? Is it a big rocky mountain, perhaps with a bubbling pool of lava at the top? Is it perched above a chasm of subterranean molten rock? I bet you didn’t picture this: You’d be forgiven for mistaking these small volcanoes for a scene from the Lord of the Rings, or maybe a grassy version of the surface of Mars (in fac ...[Read More]

Geosciences Column: Using volcanoes to study carbon emissions’ long-term environmental effect

Olivia Trani January 17, 2019

Mammoth Mountain, a lava dome complex in the Sierra Nevada, California. Scientists have been studying the ecosystem's response to the volcano's carbon emissions. Credit: Hike395 distributed via Wikimedia Commons

In a world where carbon dioxide levels are rapidly rising, how do you study the long-term effect of carbon emissions? To answer this question, some scientists have turned to Mammoth Mountain, a volcano in California that’s been releasing carbon dioxide for years. Recently, a team of researchers found that this volcanic ecosystem could give clues to how plants respond to elevated levels of carbon d ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: The ash cloud of Eyjafjallajökull approaches

Martin Hensch December 10, 2018

Ash cloud of Eyjafjallajökull (Iceland). Credit: Martin Hensch (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu)

This photo depicts the famous ash cloud of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull, which disrupted air traffic in Europe and over the North Atlantic Ocean for several days in spring 2010. The picture was taken during the initial phase of the eruption south of the town of Kirjubæjarklaustur, at the end of a long field work day. Visibility inside the ash cloud was within only a few metres. The erupt ...[Read More]

June GeoRoundUp: the best of the Earth sciences from around the web

Olivia Trani July 5, 2018

An iceberg floating in Antarctica's McMurdo Sound. New research finds that Antarctica is melting faster than ever. (Credit: NASA)

Drawing inspiration from popular stories on our social media channels, as well as unique and quirky research news, this monthly column aims to bring you the best of the Earth and planetary sciences from around the web. Major story While May’s headlines may have been dominated by the Kilauea Volcano’s recent eruption in Hawaii, the science news world directed its attention to another volcanic ev ...[Read More]