Field Work

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Field work in Iceland related to unrest and eruption in November/ December 2023

In November 2023 a team from the University of Potsdam went to Iceland to install a rotational sensor near the unrest on the Reykjanes peninsula. We chose a site in the Svartsengi power plant, a location that is still being lifted. This seems to be the location where magma rises.

Since the eruption from 19 December 2023 at the Sundhnukurgigar crater row, we have seismic 6C recordings from about 2.3 km distance. This should give us amazing insights into the tremor and earthquakes. I hope for funding from the EU to pursue this in my ERC proposal TREMORWAVES.

I’ve talked about our field work in this German article: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/de/nachrichten/detail/2023-12-05-das-schlimmste-ereignis-in-island-seit-1973-geoforscherin-prof-dr-eva-eibl-ueber

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New seismic array on Piton de la Fournaise, La Reunion

Within the PhD project of Nele Vesely, we went to La Reunion to install 7 seismometers and one rotational sensor at the flank or Piton de la Fournaise, La Reunion. We set up and tested everything at the Observatoire volcanologique du Piton de la Fournaise before we headed out to the field. We needed a helicopter to transport the heavy frames with batteries and solarpanels into the caldera. However, it all went smooth due to the excellent preparation and awesome team work in the field. The recent eruption that started on 19 September ended on 5 October and hence a few days before our installation. We are now waiting for the next one and hope that it will not affect our sensors.

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Servicing seismometers on Skeidararsandur

We successfully serviced our seismic array on Skeidararsandur, Iceland within the NatRiskChange project. They all recorded data the last 4 months and are now ready for the coming winter. Turned out the car was making more problems than the seismometers. But everything else went smooth. This is the PhD project of Thoralf Dietrich.

We also had a bit of time on the weekend to hike and watch the new eruption that accidentally started on the day of our arrival. The timing couldn’t be any better!

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Rotational sensor on Grimsvötn

We installed a rotational sensor on the southern caldera rim of Grimsvötn. It is in the black barrel in the foreground next to a Lennartz 5s seismometer in the blue barrel. The view is amazing on the Grimsvötn caldera (see photo) and the surrounding volcanoes such as Öraefajökull, Bardarbunga and Kverkfjöll. We hope to record a subglacial flood to analyse the accompanying earthquakes and tremor. Within the funding project NatRiskChange, we aim to better understand subglacial floods from Grimsvötn volcano. Watch out for presentations and publications led by Thoralf Dietrich!

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Seismic Array on Skeidararsandur

We spent a lovely time in Iceland to install a cluster of 7 seismometers on Skeidararsandur. We call this installation a seismic array and can use the recorded signals to analyse earthquakes and tremor. Within the funding project NatRiskChange, we aim to better understand subglacial floods from Grimsvötn volcano. Watch out for presentations and publications led by Thoralf Dietrich!

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Research in Iceland near Strokkur

I’ve been back to Iceland for more field work near Strokkur. This time in the mid of winter in the first two weeks of March. We installed 5 Seismometers, 2 rotational sensors, 5 Cameras and a weather station in order to study the effect of weather and locate the bubble trap feeding the geyser. You can find out more here: https://www.uni-potsdam.de/en/headlines-and-featured-stories/detail/2020-05-07-fire-and-ice-why-eva-eibl-does-research-in-iceland-in-the-mid-of-winter