Institute of Earth Sciences

16/04/2026

The dynamics of glacial lake outburst floods (jökulhlaups) studied with satellites - New paper published in Nature Communications

A new theory of jökulhlaups published in Nature Communications (https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-70428-w) Grímsvötn subglacial lake within the caldera of the volcano Grímsvötn in the centre of Vatnajökull ice cap in March 2026 (Photo: Eyjólfur Magnússon). Volcanically- and geothermally-ind...

18/03/2026

Please note that the application deadline for VOLCOM is March 22, 2026.

Volcanoes and Science Communication Summer School , June 8-12, 2026.    Venue: University of Iceland, Reykjavík, Iceland. TARGET: The Volcanoes and Science Communication (VOLCOM) Summer School is primarily intended for PhD students and post-doctoral candidates studying active volcanoes. Partici...

11/12/2025

A recent The Seismic Record study, "SWOT Satellite Altimetry Observations and Source Model for the Tsunami from the 2025 M 8.8 Kamchatka Earthquake", has made international headlines by presenting the first high-resolution spaceborne observation of a major earthquake-generated tsunami captured by...

13/11/2025

Velocity measurements from a GPS-station run by IES of near the equilibrium line of Dyngjujökul show that a surge is likely stared.

Velocity measurements from a GPS-station run by IES of near the equilibrium line of Dyngjujökul show that a surge is likely stared. Dyngjujökull in northern Vatnajökull is a surge type glacier, typically surging with 20–30 year interval. It surged last time in 1998–2000, when 21 year had pass...

01/10/2025

This summer, Earth scientists from the University of Iceland took part in field research in Mongolia with the Max Planck Institute of Geoanthropology based in Jena, Germany. During geological mapping, the scientists coincidentally discovered rock carvings (or petroglyphs) that were three thousand ye...

10/03/2025

Some of the happy Landsvirkjun Energy Research Fund grantees from Askja.

04/09/2024

This summer we have been making a new geological map of the area around Goðaland, Þórsmörk as part of the Rannís-funded project SPARKLE. We are investigating how eruptions from Katla and Eyjafjallajökull have been influenced by changes in the glacier. Photos from Rosie Cole and Elisa Piispa.

29/08/2024

Preliminary petrographic and geochemical data for the latest eruption in Sundhnúksgígar has been posted on the homepage of Institute of Earth Sciences.
https://earthice.hi.is/eruption-sundhnuksgigar-august-2024-preliminary-petrographic-and-geochemical-data

Photo from Alberto Caracciolo

07/06/2024

Preliminary petrographic and geochemical data has been posted on the homepage of Institute of Earth Sciences.

https://earthice.hi.is/eruption-sundhnuksgigar-may-2024-preliminary-petrographic-and-geochemical-data

03/06/2024

Alberto Caracciolo, Sóley Johnson and Heini Merrill (from the Hard rock Geochemistry and petrology group) went to collect some fresh lava samples on May 31st.