later almost 800 years A relatively dormant volcano on Iceland’s Reykjanes Peninsula is roaring back to life.
8 eruptions The surge in volcanic activity since 2021 stems from a shallow magma pool just 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) wide and 9 to 12 kilometers below the surface, a new study has found.
Notifying authorities of this magma source is critical to the continued safety of local residents. Researchers claim A magma pool can produce similar-sized volcanic eruptions in the area over a period of years or decades.
“Comparison of [current] “The eruption accompanying this historic event provides strong evidence that Iceland needs to be prepared and prepared for volcanic events that will continue for some time, perhaps years or decades.” Called Valentin Troll, a geologist at Uppsala University in Sweden, led the study.
Troll and his colleagues used seismic data from volcanic eruptions to Earthquake ‘swarm’ to map the underground The Reykjanes Peninsula in southwestern Iceland is where most of Iceland’s population lives.
They found that the 2021 eruption of the Fagradalsfjall volcanic system was fed by pockets of magma that then flowed along geological lines to Sundhnúkur. there was a volcano Lava eruption starting in late 2023.
Because both vents spewed lava with similar geochemical ‘fingerprints’, here’s what was discovered: propose A “connected magma piping system” connects the two volcanic systems.
historical data This indicates that this shared magma pool likely formed between 2002 and 2020, recharged again in 2023, and continues to supply magma from shallow depths to surface fractures and vents via a slightly inclined path. Melting rock deeper in the mantle will replenish magma pools, which could fuel eruptions for decades to come.
“A better understanding of the magma supply systems that feed ongoing eruptive events is needed.” Troll and his colleagues write for a published paper.
“The frequency of explosions is expected to increase in the near future.”
Now that the magma pools have been identified, they can be mapped and monitored to prepare communities for what may occur.
Repeated evacuations are an obvious but very necessary disruption to ensure people’s safety. Frequent explosions could also damage key infrastructure, such as geothermal power plants that provide electricity and heat to Iceland and experimental carbon sequestration facilities. carbon dioxide injection (C.O.2) and other gaseous contaminants into porous rock.
sit on top mid atlantic ridgeIceland, a tectonic plate boundary separating North America and Eurasia, is no stranger to volcanic eruptions.
But the eruptions of the past three years have been particularly devastating and could potentially mark the start of a long period of sustained volcanic eruptions in the country. But nature is rarely predictable, so researchers are calling for constant monitoring of the area.
“We don’t know how long or how often that will continue over the next 10 or 100 years.” Called Study author Ilya Bindeman is a volcanologist at the University of Oregon.
“Patterns will emerge, but there are always exceptions and irregularities in nature.”
This study Terra Nova.
