volcanology

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]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Hints of an eruption

Eva Eibl June 11, 2018

A hint of an eruption. Credit: Eva Eibl (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

The photograph shows water that accumulated in a depression on the ice surface of Vatnajökull glacier in southeastern Iceland. This 700m wide and 30m deep depression [1], scientifically called an ‘ice cauldron’, is surrounded by circular crevasses on the ice surface and is located on the glacier tongue Dyngjujökull, an outlet glacier of Vatnajökull. The photo was taken on 4 June 2016, less than 22 ...[Read More]

GeoTalk: How will large Icelandic eruptions affect us and our environment?

Olivia Trani March 16, 2018

Meet Anja Schmidt, the winner of a 2018 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Early Career Scientists, pictured here in front of Teide volcano in Tenerife, Spain. Credit: Anja Schmidt.

Geotalk is a regular feature highlighting early career researchers and their work. In this interview we speak to Anja Schmidt, an interdisciplinary researcher at the University of Cambridge who draws from atmospheric science, climate modelling, and volcanology to better understand the environmental impact of volcanic eruptions. She is also the winner of a 2018 Arne Richter Award for Outstanding Ea ...[Read More]

Imaggeo on Mondays: Breath from the underground

Laura Roberts-Artal June 26, 2017

Breath of the underground . Credit: Néstor Campos (distributed via imaggeo.egu.eu).

The heat seeping from the geothermal area which is part of the Krafla volcanic system in Iceland, ‘powers’ the steaming vent at Hverir (Hverarönd). The area is well known for its mud pots and sulphuric gas fumaroles, complete with pungent eggy smell. Some of the vents are in fact boreholes drilled in the 50’s for sulphur exploration which have been turned into fumaroles, the steam is a resul ...[Read More]