Descripción del proyecto
Una mirada más cercana a los volcanes cubiertos de hielo
El Katla es un volcán subglacial gigante del sur de Islandia que está oculto bajo la capa de hielo del glaciar Mýrdalsjökull, y es muy activo y peligroso. Todas las erupciones se han producido debajo de la capa de hielo y han dado lugar a desbordamientos repentinos. El proyecto financiado con fondos europeos SURGE estudiará los depósitos confinados bajo el hielo en el Katla para ampliar la información sobre las interacciones glaciovolcánicas. Esta información es importante porque la producción de agua del deshielo puede influir en el tipo de erupción y dar lugar a desbordamientos repentinos o interacciones explosivas entre la lava y el agua. Los depósitos glaciovolcánicos pueden ser indicadores terrestres útiles de los ambientes existentes en el pasado. El proyecto adoptará un planteamiento multidisciplinario para investigar los procesos que tienen lugar debajo de las capas de hielo. Los hallazgos serán útiles para la planificación de futuras amenazas.
Objetivo
Volcanoes at high latitudes or at high elevations at temperate latitudes are commonly capped by glaciers. Understanding the dynamics of volcano-ice interaction is important because meltwater production can influence eruption style and lead to sudden outburst floods or explosive lava-water interactions. In addition, glaciovolcanic deposits can be useful terrestrial indicators of past environments. Glaciated volcanic systems are complex because meltwater availability and eruption style are dependent on a combination of magmatic, glacial and edifice characteristics. The relative influence of these characteristics are open fields of research. SURGE aims to improve our understanding of glaciovolcanic interactions by studying ice-confined deposits at Katla volcano, Iceland. Katla is a highly active and hazardous subglacial volcano from which all historic eruptions have occurred beneath an ice cap and have resulted in outburst floods. While the Holocene eruptive record at Katla is well-known, the older parts of the edifice have received little attention. A second aim of SURGE, therefore, is to improve our understanding of the pre-Holocene eruption history and edifice building at Katla. New geological mapping will be carried out to determine the eruption and emplacement processes of pre-Holocene formations. We will then use thermal modelling to determine the volume of ice that was melted during these eruptions in order to reconstruct the ancient glacier surface and extent. Finally, radiometric dating of the formations will be used to build an age-constrained record of glacier dimensions and eruptive activity at Katla. Our multidisciplinary approach will contribute to understanding of processes that occur beneath an ice cap or are too hazardous to observe. In addition, our estimates of ice volumes melted during these past eruptions will inform future hazard planning. The global prevalence of ice-capped volcanoes means that this study will have widespread relevance.
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MSCA-IF - Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowships (IF)Coordinador
101 Reykjavik
Islandia