What is going on in Iceland?

Iceland is something of an enigma. It sits astride the northern part of the mid-Atlantic rift, yet there is more of its land mass to the west of the rift than the east. Volcanoes along ocean ridges erupt basalts, as do those above plumes and yet some of the structures found suggest more evolved rocks.

The famous ‘Icelandic eruption’ in 2010 disrupted European air travel and yet the more recent eruptions along the Reykjanes peninsula are tourist attractions.

Here we look at some recent research in Iceland aimed at understanding how their volcanoes work and at the mitigation strategies to reduce the impact of ongoing volcanic unrest.

Hazel is a physicist by training and has spent her career as a volcanologist and geophysicist at the Open University. She has taught at all university levels at the OU, The University of Naples and University of Mexico. She has led research & teaching expeditions to Central America, Europe and Iceland.

Hazel’s research has focussed on the use of geophysical methods to identify & understand the signals given by volcanoes before, during and after eruption that give insights to the processes operating below the surface. Hazel is currently Professor Emerita in Environmental Volcanology at the Open University.

== Note that the talk will be followed by our brief AGM (for members only) which will be followed by refreshments. ==